Tuesday 1 March 2016

Super Girl of The Month - Namerl Tagoe

Namerl Tagoe was born and bred in Adabraka - a neighborhood in the heart of Accra - Ghana. Raised by her grandparents and mother, Namerl has very fond memories of her childhood. She recounts that she had everything she wanted as soon as her requests were made known. 

An early bloomer, our super girl's engagement in social work and development began in 2008, when she was a senior high school student. She was opportune to undergo a Life Planning Skills Training organized by the Planned Parenthood Association Of Ghana. During the training, she was introduced to the world of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health/Rights and her curiosity led her to maintain a good relationship with PPAG, several years after the training. So far, Namerl has been actively engaged (alongside several volunteers and health workers), visiting the Sekondi prisons to test the HIV status of inmates and making relevant donations to improve their lives in prison. As an undergraduate, she also featured on a campus radio show geared towards educating young people about making informed choices/decisions that affect their sexual and reproductive health. She attributes her SRHR peer education experience to her relationship with the Planned Parenthood Association Of Ghana.

In September 2010, Namerl was admitted into the University for Development Studies, Tamale, to study towards a B.A in Integrated Development Studies (Development Communication Option). Eager to hone her leadership skills, she joined AIESEC - a global leadership factory which presents an international platform for young people to explore and develop their potentials, in order to make positive impact in society. As a member of AIESEC, Namerl was quickly assigned a Team Leader role in Branding & Sales by her Local Committee. She went forward to clinch the role of Local Committee Vice-President for Marketing & Communication, joining the Executive Board of her Local Committee in 2013. In her words, the experience improved her leadership/team playing competencies, public relations skills and social media proficiency. Above all, Namerl recognizes AIESEC as the organization that offered her a truly multi cultural learning experience, thus transforming her world view.

Ms Tagoe is the Founder of IDonate-GH - an NGO which provides orphans and street children with basic human needs. IDonate-GH is Namerl's contribution to building a world without poverty, where everyone would have access to basic necessities of life and a sense of belonging. For the past 3 years, the organization has operated with the overwhelming support of Namerl's friends and family.                   

Through other IDonate-GH projects - “Engaging Children On Vacation” #ECOV and “Engaging Children On Saturdays” #ECOS, Namerl hosts craft classes for children in Adabraka and Jamestown. Being proficient in social media marketing and fund raising, she uses social media platforms to appeal for funds to run the projects and to advertise/sell some of the items made by the kids. The goal is to engage children productively in their free time - teaching them craft skills and developing their entrepreneurial mindset, while selling the products to generate extra income for their school needs. 

Namerl Tagoe is also a member of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament - a platform that gives her the opportunity to bring young people's issues to the front burner, before local/national leaders who are in a position to tackle these issues. She has been actively engaged in the processes leading to the preparation and validation of the Ghana Youth Policy Plan, representing Ghanaian youths at several youth summits. Namerl believes that young people constitute a significant proportion of Ghana’s population, serving as a major source of the nation’s human capital and key agents for socio-cultural, economic & political development. Hence, the earlier they are given a voice across more community, national and regional platforms, the better.
Having bagged a B.A Degree and pursued her passion for community development, Namerl has become a mentor for most children (both boys and girls) in her neighborhood. Despite being young and single, she is referred to as “mum” by many children in Adabraka and Jamestown because of her close relationship with them and her frequent visits to their homes, in a bid to monitor their well being. Though small in stature, Naa Ameley (as she is fondly called) describes herself as a resilient young lady. She believes that social work and volunteerism is not for the faint-hearted but for strong willed persons who are determined to achieve positive impact above all odds.

We are very proud of Ghana's Namerl Tagoe! We wish her success in all her future endeavors.

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