Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Professor Edward Appiah has encouraged Ghanaian youth to persevere and be resilient amid the struggle.
In a recent interview with Rev Erskine on the Y Leaderboard Series, Prof. Edward Appiah spoke about the reiterated the significance of perseverance and sacrifice for young people seeking success.
He stated that things do not come easily in life and that one has to work hard and exude resilience to achieve their goals.
“Things don’t come on a silver player. If you want it, you have to pursue it and you’re not going to get it easy. Struggle and get it and when you get it it’s always worth it,” he alluded.
Mr. Appiah referenced his time at studying in South Africa and how he put in the effort to succeed, even sacrificing his social life. He expressed how determined he was to finish his program on time. However, despite his best efforts, he faced a major setback when he lost his sister, which delayed his completion of the program by four months.
“I didn’t have a social life when I schooled in S.A and we know over there party lifestyle is on another level. My friends wanted me one time and they were not finding me so they called around 5:30 and they were surprised to know I was still in school on a Friday.”
“I was just bent on finishing on time and I had left my family in Ghana. It was something that I challenged myself to do. I have to say I didn’t get to finish exactly three years, there were about four months and that happened because I lost my sister getting to the ends. We were three children – myself being the first, my younger brother who died early and my sister who passed during the time. I got the news from my wife while I was at a conference in Liverpool. So I came to Ghana, stayed for months and that delayed me finishing my programme.”
The NaCCA Director General emphasized that success is not just about obtaining a goal, but also about the journey one takes to reach it. He encouraged young people to challenge themselves, to put in the effort and not be afraid of the struggles along the way.
Prof. Appiah’s words serve as a reminder that success requires sacrifice, perseverance and determination, but the reward is worth it in the end.
By: Jude Tackie
