A youth led NGO Necessary Aid Alliance with funding from Plan International Ghana birthed a transformative project called Calendar 4 Change.

This year long project, essentially is a visual communication and mentorship project which aims at shaping the mindset of teenage school girls living in communities in the rural areas by providing them with the good role models on a yearly basis through a calendar, mentorship visits and commitment cards.

The sole goal of this initiative is to trigger mindset change among girls to understand that their gender is not a barrier and that they can be great people in the near future once they set their minds to it.

Considering how relevant and impactful this project seeks to arrive, Necessary Aid Alliance as an organization engaged in rigorous scout for the quintessential role models for girls, especially those living in rural areas, for the Calendar For Change program.

These are highly revered personalities who have carved a niche for themselves in their various fields and they all hail from the Upper West Region.

1. Professor Hamidatu Darimani

Professor Hamidatu Darimani is from Jonga in the Upper West Region. She is a lecturer at the Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University, a scientist and an entrepreneur. She has over the years inspired many with her charisma in academia, entrepreneurship and so on.

2. Noella Wiyaala

Noella Wiyaala (known under the stage name Wiyaala; born 22 December 1986) is a Ghanaian Afro-pop singer-songwriter who sings in her native language Sissala, Waala dialects and English, often combining all three languages within her songs. Wiyaala means “the doer” in the Sissala dialect.

She has attained public renown with her single “Make Me Dance and her androgynous image. After making her name in reality shows in Accra, she established a solo career in 2013 with the hit single “Rock My Body”, which won her two awards at the 2014 first edition of the All Africa Music Awards, the Most Promising Artiste in Africa and Revelation of the African Continent.

3. Madam Shamima Muslim

Madam Shamima Muslim is a proud daughter of the Upper West Region. She is the founder of the Alliance for Women in Media Africa, a journalist and a development communication specialist. She is a distinguished award winning broadcast journalist previously with Citi Fm and Metro TV.

4. Lawyer Nuhela Seidu

Lawyer Nuhela Seidu is a mum, a lawyer, author and media personality who hails from Dorimon in the Wa West District. In July 2022, she graduated with a L.LM( Master of Laws) Degree and also with two certificates of specialization in intellectual property law and Business law from the University of California.

5. Madam Charity Batuure

Madam Charity Batuure is a gender activist working with the Minsitry of Gender, Children and Social protection. She serves as the Regional Director for the department of Gender in the Upper West Region. She is well known for her vociferous advocacy for protection of rights of women and children. Madam Charity is from Tizza in the Jirapa District.

6. Madam Pognaa Leticia Dormwin Tantuo

Madam Pognaa is a farmer and the Regional Secretary for women in Agriculture platform. She believes so much in women empowerment and creating a society of equal opportunities for all regardless of their gender.

7. Sophia Dimah Nando

Madam Sophia is the municipal Director of education in the Upper West Region. Working with GES has given her so much experience in dealing with teenage girls. She believes so much in children and women empowerment.

8. Madam Kuminso Pascaline Songsore

Madam Songsore hails from Loho, a community in the Nadowli/Kaleo District. She is an author and a Senior Assistant Registrar at the University of Ghana. She has authored several materials and aims at transforming the mindsets of the young ones positively.

9. Madam Nuhaila Issaka Koray

She is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and CEO of Kaara Diagnostics Services LTD. She is also gender advocate and has passion for women empowerment.

10. Madam Asana Ismail

Madam Asana is a fashion designer and the CEO of Asana fashion and Design center. She was instrumental in the Black Stars Qatar smock agenda. She is widely regarded as one of the best fashion designers country wide.

11. Officer Charity Naangmenkuu

She hails from Pavuu, a community under the Lawra District. She is a police officer and a dispatch rider. She has inspired many with her biking skills in the Upper West Region

12. Madam Christiana K. Dery

Madam Christiana is the Regional Director of the Nursing and Midwifery council, Upper West Region.
The calendar for change project has directly benefit two thousand five hundred girls under eighteen (18) years of age schooling in rural communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

This project is running from the month of November 2021 to the month of October 2022 in the Space of a full year. The project covers 2 Districts and 10 communities in the Upper West Region.

Source: Necessary Aid Alliance (NAA)