As today marks World Creativity and Innovation Day, Rachel Amoakoa Yeboah, a first-year MPhil Political Science student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), has reflected on how a simple but innovative decision helped her become fluent in Ga while supporting children’s literacy in Accra.
Rachel stated that in 2019; after completing high school, she worked as a Library Assistant at the Korle-Gonno Community Library in Accra for a year.
“The library served children from surrounding schools, many of whom speak more Ga than English.” At the time, Rachel understood only basic Ga, which made communication with the children difficult.
“I was finding it difficult to communicate with the children,” she added.
The language barrier limited her impact; Rachel took the initiative to learn Ga through bilingual books, Ga songs, and daily interactions with the children, who often helped correct her pronunciation. “The students were helpful and corrected me all the time.”
“Reading the Ga books and listening to Ga music helped me,” she said.
Within four months, Rachel had developed enough fluency to communicate effectively with the children.
“Now I can speak proper Ga with the children,” she added.
She began translating books into Ga during story sessions, helping the stories come alive and become more engaging for the young readers.
She also introduced storytelling sessions using books with more visual illustrations, enabling the children to follow stories visually while learning novel words.
Rachel highlighted that the children’s excitement and growing love for reading motivated her own language-learning journey.
Reflecting on the significance of the day, Rachel noted that leadership begins with the instinct to care for others and take initiative, while innovation is creativity put into action. She encouraged young people to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and positive change.
Her story serves as a reminder that creativity often begins with simple ideas that can transform lives, strengthen communities, and inspire learning without boundaries.
Story: Ama Pokuaa Mensah