Brief Story – What Got You Where You Are Today

Rebecca Kwabi is my name and my passion for fashion can be traced back to my pre-professional days, whether as a member of my family or among my peers in school and in my community. As a budding fashion designer, I aspire to be one of the most prolific designers on the continent and the world over. My mom inspires me greatly. She’s a go-getter and very disciplined.

Compassion runs through my DNA and I’m committed to achieving any set goals. Before we delve into the intricacies of what I intend on doing, let me state that my project is born purely out of my unflinching desire to bring a smile on the faces of kids who are down the social ladder. Outside of the public eye, I am a young and energetic lady from a humble home which is the reason behind empowering myself and women in general. I come from a family of seven, and I happen to be an identical twin. I speak just English as an international language as well as three local languages, predominantly Ghanaian. I’m currently enrolled in a fashion school. I’m 175 cm tall and I love rice balls with peanut butter soup as well as any other local dish, though I love to try new things.

Being a strong believer in the priceless value of education, every child needs quality education, be it formal or informal to guarantee a solid future. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDGs4) emphasizes on quality education which encapsulates school uniforms, good teaching material, requisite facilities, etc. I am of the firm conviction that every Ghanaian child is entitled to these privileges but it is rather disheartening that an appreciable chunk of Ghanaian kids, through no fault of theirs, are lacking these privileges. This is sad. This is a blot on our conscience as a people.

My sojourn to the Omankope D/A Primary School at Ningo in the Greater Accra Region was a painful eye-opener. I was moved by seeing the future leaders of my country studying in dilapidated structures and lacking the very basic amenities. There were only two teachers, there were no uniforms for the kids and teaching materials were nothing to write home about.

Due to the sorry state of the building, whenever it rains, the pupils would have to vacate the school premises because the place always gets flooded. This certainly, is not the country we want to build. I believe my association with the Miss Ghana brand will help. The ripple effect of this avoidable setback is that these kids end up dropping out of school, others devote less time for their studies and hawk their wares on the street to make ends meet. Some also assist their parents in the farm and many other dehumanizing ways to survive.