This essay is one of 35 selected by a panel of judges for “Ambitions Interrupted,” a series from The GroundTruth Project and YouthVoices, its storytelling platform.
Name: Edwige Sabanko
Age: 25
Dream job: Social entrepreneur, advocate for African women
City, Country: Lomé, Togo
Current job/school: Recent college graduate
Challenge: Financial resources, patriarchal society
I’m passionate about leadership, entrepreneurship and promoting women’s equality in my community. My dream is to become a great entrepreneur in Africa. My vision is to make sure that every Togolese girl who attends school can become a leader and participate actively in the development of her community.
I am hoping to create a social enterprise and work with capable women to support women’s education through mentoring, scholarships and leadership activities. I just completed my bachelor’s in English at the University of Lomé, where I mentored other young women and counseled them to work hard and to continue their education – both for their own empowerment and for the development of our nation.
It was difficult for me to complete my studies because of financial means and the patriarchal social system in my country, where young ladies are not allowed to go far away for their studies. Thanks to the Karren Waid scholarship program and Pathways Togo, I received scholarships, a mentor and was able to become a great leader.
Through our annual conferences and many leadership activities, I’ve built up my capacities and now I can say proudly that I am an accomplished leader ready to bring solutions to problems in my community. That is why I was recently selected to take part in the Young African Leaders Initiative program in the West Africa Regional Leadership Center in Accra, Ghana, where I met 104 young leaders from other West African countries who shared their experiences with me.
I am now creating a team of Pathways Togo alumnae, in order for us as young leaders to decide what we can give back to our society, which is the main aim of an ethical leader. Through this platform, we will set up many activities, such as mentoring, coaching, leadership training, sensitization, awards and scholarship programs, in order to empower women’s education in our country, and later on throughout Africa. Our vision is to complete the emancipation of women in Africa.
This story was originally submitted to YouthVoices, a platform powered by The GroundTruth Project that encourages young people to share stories about the issues affecting their generation. Submit your own essays and answer new questions here, or learn more about global youth unemployment with this interactive map.