How Being Fired Led Eugenia Tachie-Menson to Start Ghana’s Own Spelling Bee, Video
- Eugenia Tachie-Menson has recounted how being fired from her job was the divine turning point that birthed Ghana’s Spelling Bee
- She recalled applying for the franchise, forgetting about it until approval arrived the same day she got fired from her old role
- The spelling bee programme’s early success was boosted by the Hollywood film Akeelah and the Bee, exciting Ghanaian children
Eugenia Tachie-Menson, the founder of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Ghana, has shared how being fired from her job became a turning point that birthed the programme.
Source: Instagram
She shared this during a recent interview reflecting on her journey in championing literacy among Ghanaian children.
According to the entrepreneur, her passion for literacy stemmed from noticing that children in Ghana seemed less interested in reading compared to her generation.
Tachie-Menson explained that while she was studying in the UK, she got motivated by the US's Scripps National Spelling Bee.
According to her, she was moved by the young contestants’ command of English and was convinced that Ghanaian children could achieve the same feat, which made her apply for the franchise to introduce the initiative locally.
Eugenia shares humble beginning of spelling bee
She recalled that after applying, she nearly forgot about it until she unexpectedly received approval. She disclosed that it was the same day she was dismissed from her job in the car industry.
Tachie-Menson described the timing as divine intervention, which gave her the push to dedicate herself to literacy development.
In her words:
"I forgot about it because I got the usual, 'We'll come back to you'. And you know that could be never. Um, so when it came, it also came at a time when I had just been fired from my last job, literally on the same day. It was divine. Divine intervention."
Eugenia talks about national spelling bee movie
Explaining further, she said that in its early days, the programme benefited from the popularity of the Hollywood film Akeelah and the Bee, which made the concept instantly relatable to Ghanaian children.
Source: Instagram
Tachie-Menson said the novelty of spelling contests excited young learners, many of whom associated the competition with the film’s character Akeelah, played by actress Keke Palmer.
"In the beginning, it was fun... I couldn't see any obstacle even though there were obstacles. It was fun. It was really fun because it was a novelty and in that beginning was about the same year that the movie Akeelah and the Bee, which was built around the same program I had brought to Ghana, had been premiered and so the recall amongst children was very good," she said.
Watch the video of her interview below:
Tachie-Menson has spearheaded the Spelling Bee in Ghana for over 20 years, nurturing a generation of confident, literate young people.
Beyond the competition, she remains committed to improving literacy and fostering a culture of reading among Ghanaian children.
Davido's daughter wins spelling bee competition
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Nigerian musician Davido and fashion influencer Sophia Momodu's daughter, Imade Adeleke, emerged as the spelling bee champion in her school.
In the post shared online, the wealthy heir looked overly excited as she posed for the cameras after the highly competitive event. Social media users commented on pics shared on Snapchat.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
