Yinson Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), and the Youth Bridge Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation responsible for youth development, organised the inaugural Yinson Girls Education Programme STEM Clinics in the Ahanta West Municipality. The STEM Clinics aim to boost the interest of female students in STEM-related studies by engaging them in hands-on experiments and other STEM-related demonstrations.

500 female students from across 70 basic schools in the Ahanta West Municipality participated in the STEM Clinics. Over the course of five days, the STEM Clinics engaged the students in basic laboratory experiments, Physics Education Technology (PhET) scientific simulation demonstrations, and mentoring sessions on STEM-related subjects.

The laboratory experiments were conducted as practical lessons to demonstrate scientific theories studied at school. Experiments conducted during the STEM Clinics include measurement of regular and irregular objects, acid-base reactions, food tests, photosynthesis, reflection of light, and basic electronics, among others.

The STEM Clinics have also seen the use of PhET Interactive Simulations, an interactive educational learning platform covering the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, earth science and mathematics, to facilitate enjoyable and engaging STEM studies. The students were introduced to various simulation programs including the PH Scale, fractions, integers, ratios, and proportions.

The Yinson Girls Education Programme launched in June 2023, aims to improve Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) studies among female students and reduce poor academic performance caused by Period Poverty, a prevailing issue causing poor academic performance.

Yinson Ghana HR Coordinator, Ms. Emefa Anthonio, led the mentoring session. She was assisted by Ms. Middy Benyah, who studied chemistry at the university, Ms. Saviour Atadja, who studied petroleum engineering, Ms Abena Okyere, who studied Computer Science and Kimberly Ann Adjei, who studied petrochemical engineering. All the ladies are National Service Personnel at Yinson Ghana.

Ms. Anthonio encouraged the girls to take science seriously and to believe in themselves. She added that girls can do whatever they put their minds to. The other mentors shared their educational journeys with the girls and emphasised the importance and benefits of STEM studies to them.

Yinson Ghana CSR Coordinator, Mr Edward Mensah in his address, pointed out that Yinson hopes that this programme will help bridge the gender gap by encouraging more female students to take up STEM studies. He added that the United Nations Sustainable Goal No. 5, Gender equality is one of the several goals adopted by Yinson. “We like to empower women to take up challenges that face them, gain confidence, develop better problem-solving skills and have a better career option”.

Mr George Effah, Ahanta West Municipal Director of Education, said, “We recognise the immense talent and capacity that resides in every girl. We aim to provide them with a nurturing environment, and rich opportunities, where one can explore, experiment and excel in the domain that has the power to change the world.

Ms Dorothy Mensah, the Western Regional manager of the Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF) said that the YBF is excited about their partnership with Yinson Ghana. She added that the laboratory sessions will give the girls a hands-on demonstration of what had been taught by their teachers in the classroom and let them better appreciate what they had studied in theory.

Marian Abdul Rahman, a student at the Funkoe Municipal Assembly Basic School said, “I have learnt a lot during the science experiments such as filtration, acids and bases, separation of water from sand and others. These will enable me to do well in my Basic Education Certificate Examination.”

This is one of the Yinson educational CSR programmes in Ghana. Yinson will continue to foster STEM studies and inclusivity for female students in the areas where we operate. Yinson is committed to running the STEM Clinics annually.

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