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A total of 100 kayayei (head porters) of the Chief Justice Justice Club on Friday were taken through a rehearsal of how court cases are handled by judges during court proceedings.
The purpose of the rehearsal was to provide them with first-hand court proceedings experience in order to help demystify legal systems, and develop their interest in the legal field.
During the rehearsal that took place at the Circuit Court 3 in Accra, the kayayei engaged in a simulated court proceedings where they presented on court case that had been drafted for them.
This, they did under the mentorship of Justice Abena Oppong of the High Court and Mrs Susana Eduful, a judge at the Accra Circuit Court , after they were led by their mentors to observe court proceedings at the Circuit and High Court.
The kayayei, together with their mentors, as part of the Chief Justice Mentorship Programme, also visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum to learn about Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the First President of Ghana.
The Chief Justice Mentorship Programme, which was launched in 2007 by the former Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, was to inspire and educate the next generation, particularly students from various Senior High Schools across the country, about the judiciary and the legal profession in Ghana.
However, through the partnership with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP),) under the global programme to end child marriage, the Chief Justice Mentorship Programme was extended to involve Kayayei.
Also, the current Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, had extended the programme into the creation of Justice Clubs at various schools and among the kayayei led by various judges who frequently met the adolescent girls to educate them on the 1992 Constitution and the justice system.
In an interview with journalists, Mrs Eduful noted that the Chief Justice Mentorship Programme had impacted the lives of the kayayei positively as some of them had been able to further their education while others had been equipped with vocational skills.
“We are always here to put confidence in them and tell them they can do it as women because we want women to play key roles in society. Our main aim is that they don’t remain as kayayei but they come out of it and take their role in society”, she added.
On her part, the Executive Director of PAYDP, Rev. Aku Xornam Kevi, explained that her outfit did monitor the progress of the girls on a daily basis and added that kayayei Justice Clubs that were located in various parts of Accra were opened to any kayayoo (head porter) who wished to join.
She indicated that a kayayei business and leadership fair would be held in November at Bolgatanga, where the girls who had benefited from the Chief Justice Mentorship Programme would be exhibiting their products and services.
The President of the Justice Club, Ms Mumuni Mankuzaisi Jennifer, sharing her success story, inspired young ladies not to give up in life but stay focused while they strive to achieve their goals.
According to her, through the mentorship programme, she had been able to complete her secondary education and had applied to the University of Media, Arts and Culture-Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ) because she wanted to be a broadcast journalist.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
