Bazaara Serinye Priscilla
Bazaara Serinye Priscilla, a beneficiary of a programme implemented by the Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has recounted how support from the initiative helped her overcome difficult circumstances and rediscover her ambition to become a lawyer.
In an interview with the Daily Statesman during a one-day capacity-building workshop on UNFPA Country Programme Reporting and Development Communication in Accra on November 5, 2026, Priscilla said her challenges began when she dropped out of school and moved in with her sister, who was then an apprentice. To support herself, she worked as a salesgirl in the market.
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She said she later became pregnant but lost her baby just days before her expected delivery. Following the loss, she returned to her mother’s home, where her mother encouraged her to register with an organisation supporting out-of-school girls.
Although she was initially reluctant to join the programme, Priscilla said she eventually participated and met one of her former teachers, who encouraged her to return to school after recognising her academic potential.
She said she later travelled to Accra in search of work and money to support her ambitions but faced difficult living conditions. At one point, she had to sleep at a market before a woman offered her temporary accommodation.
Priscilla said she eventually left the accommodation after discovering that the woman wanted to involve her in activities she was not comfortable with.
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She said a friend later invited her to an adolescent sexual and reproductive health programme, where she reconnected with a PAYDP representative she had previously met during workshops.
According to Priscilla, the representative asked about her aspirations, and she expressed an interest in pursuing cosmetology. The engagement subsequently connected her to other opportunities, including the Chief Justice Mentorship Programme.
Priscilla said her participation in the mentorship programme exposed her to the legal profession, strengthened her confidence and inspired her to pursue a career in law.
“I met PAYDP at first, and they were working with UNFPA, and through them we went for some Chief Justice mentoring programmes, and I was empowered. So I chose to do law,” she said.
She said she is now preparing to begin a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in February next year (2027), with the ambition of becoming a lawyer.
Priscilla also urged girls, particularly those living on the streets and facing difficult circumstances, to be bold in communicating their ambitions and the kind of support they need.
She said expressing their aspirations would help organisations and individuals understand their needs and identify ways to support them.
“Sometimes we go out to preach to some of the ladies on the street, especially the girls. So I would like everyone to be bold in communicating with us about what they want to do, how we can help, and then we take it from there. My biggest dream is to become a lawyer,” she further stated.
The PAYDP
The Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) receives funding and implementation support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana, alongside corporate partners such as Prudential Life Insurance Ghana and Access Bank Ghana through its Access W initiative.
UNFPA Ghana serves as a key development partner, supporting PAYDP’s vocational and life skills training initiatives under programmes such as the Adolescent Girls’ Programme and the Global Programme to End Child Marriage.
AGP in Ghana is a joint initiative funded and supported by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by UNFPA Ghana and UNICEF Ghana.
Prudential Life Insurance Ghana provides corporate support aimed at empowering vulnerable young women, including female head porters (kayayei), through vocational skills training and the provision of start-up toolkits to help them establish sustainable livelihoods.
Access Bank Ghana, through its Access W initiative, also partners with PAYDP to support the rehabilitation and economic empowerment of marginalised women, with a focus on financial literacy and livelihood development.
Mckingtorch Africa provides technical and strategic support, particularly in the implementation of practical and environmentally friendly skills training initiatives.
Through these partnerships, PAYDP is able to support the training of vulnerable girls and young women by providing training materials, reproductive health education, legal literacy, vocational skills development and apprenticeship support. Its interventions have reached beneficiaries in several communities across the country, including Accra, Kumasi, Techiman and Assin.
The workshop
The one-day workshop was organised by the Media and Communication Advocacy Network (MCAN), in collaboration with UNFPA, to strengthen media engagement and development reporting on the UNFPA Ghana Country Programme.
Beyond the training sessions, the workshop provided an opportunity to identify and document human-interest stories from implementing partners and beneficiaries of the Adolescent Girls and Child Marriage programmes.
It also highlighted the experiences, achievements and impact of UNFPA-supported interventions in communities, with the aim of improving media coverage of development programmes and the changes they bring to the lives of beneficiaries.
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