The hall was brimming with excitement in Tamale as over 3,000 young people from across the Northern Region gathered for the 10th Youth Empowerment Summit of the Martha Inspires Foundation.
For many of the students from schools such as Tamale Girls Senior High, Ghana Senior High, Northern School of Business, Dabokpa Technical Institute and Bagabaga College of Education, it was more than just another event – it was an opportunity to be challenged, inspired, and reminded that their dreams are valid.
At the heart of the celebration was Antoinette Kwofie, Chief Finance Officer of MTN Ghana, who stood before the crowd as a living example of what perseverance, preparation and self-belief can achieve.
“Martha has spent ten years inspiring young people, empowering them to rise, to learn, to break barriers, and to lead. This milestone proves that when the youth are empowered, communities can be transformed,” she told the audience.
Kwofie urged the participants to think beyond the excitement of the summit. “It’s easy to feel inspired when you sit in a room like this, listening to powerful speakers. But what happens when you leave here? By the third morning, you may have forgotten everything you heard. That is why I’d like each of you to take an action today. Ask yourself, what do I want to see in the next five years, in the next ten years? What do I want to do?”
Sharing her personal journey, she revealed that her path to becoming MTN Ghana’s first female and first Ghanaian CFO was far from smooth. “I failed some papers, but I persevered and pushed through. Today, I can confidently say I am one of the finest accountants I know, not because it was handed to me, but because I believed in myself and worked for it. The lesson is this: barriers are meant to be broken.”
For her, education and digital literacy remain the greatest opportunities for Africa’s youth. “Preparation meets opportunity. Don’t wait until the rain falls before you get an umbrella. Anticipate. Prepare. Learn. Gain experience. Build skills. Your best life is ahead of you, but you must prepare for it.”
Her message of self-belief and resilience resonated deeply, but the summit offered more than motivation – it pressed young people to adopt habits that shape character and legacy.
Rev. Aaron Lambon Fant, Founder and Senior Pastor of the Sanctuary of Wind and Fire Assemblies of God Church, reminded participants that success is built not in one grand moment, but through daily choices.
“Legacy is not built later, it is built daily. What you do daily determines what you become permanently. You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit,” he said.
Rev. Fant cautioned against the quiet traps that derail ambition – procrastination, peer pressure, and idleness – describing them as “silent killers of potential.” He called on the youth to learn self-discipline and embrace sacrifice as the gateway to fulfillment.
“No is not evil. No is discipline. No creates boundaries. No protects your mental health. No gives you time to say yes to what actually matters,” he stressed.
For the founder of the Martha Inspires Foundation, Martha Anabila, this 10th summit was more than a celebration; it was a turning point.
“For over 10 years, we have been focused on empowering young people in the northern region, especially when it comes to literacy. Once you get in touch with Martha Inspires Foundation and you are able to read, just know that your life will never be the same because reading is our hallmark,” she said in an interview after the summit.
She explained that the next decade will see the foundation scale its mentorship and literacy initiatives to reach even more communities in northern Ghana and beyond. “We want young people to believe in themselves, to understand that they are not defined by their circumstances but by the choices they make. Our goal is to continue creating spaces where their voices are heard, their talents are refined, and their dreams are supported.”
Launched in Tamale in 2015, the Youth Empowerment Summit has grown into the foundation’s flagship annual event, drawing thousands each year. A decade on, its mission of mentorship and literacy promotion continues to leave lasting imprints on the lives of young people – urging them, in the words of Antoinette Kwofie, to dream big and to keep building.
Source: www.KumasiMail.Com/JosephZiem
