As part of an opinion series on the New York Times Communities Fund, the New York Times editorial board highlighted Joyce Arthur, a master’s student in the College of Education’s international education policy program, whose academic journey exemplifies the transformative power of education. The piece highlights Joyce’s background and her experience with CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), a global initiative supporting girls’ access to school, leadership and opportunity.
In the article, Arthur reflects on her path from a modest fishing community to her pursuit of an education to the launch of Araba Foundation International, a nonprofit that provides menstrual health products, education and mentorship to girls in Ghana.
Joyce Arthur was born in rural Ghana, the eldest daughter in a family of five children. Her family slept in a single room, and their daily income, earned by catching and selling fish, wasn’t enough for everyone to eat three meals a day. Like many girls in her community, she knew that she would probably be married off early or get pregnant as a teenager or both. Education would not be an option.
Arthur knew she wanted more from her life. “I saw a future that was beyond what my community and my family were showing me,” she said. “I knew the only way out was to go to school.”
Read the rest in the New York Times.
