She had wanted to become a medical doctor but when that dream failed to materialise, she had to come up with another workable plan. Several years on, her courage to follow a different path is yielding results.

Caroline Esinam Adzogble, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caroline Group of Companies, an Education and Training Consultancy firm, is making education more affordable and accessible to individuals, groups and institutions.

Background

The 28-year-old Ms Adzogble hails from Dzodze in the Volta Region. She started her own Potters International College, an online College in 2010, before expanding operation to other areas.

The college offers internationally-recognised diplomas to students who have had gaps in their education and do not have the necessary academic qualification to move on to the next level.

 Interacting with The Spectator, the CEO said she and her team are determined to “redefine education” with focus on training, consulting, marketing, travel and philanthropy.

Recounting her journey, she noted that a combination of quality education and Information Communication Technology (ICT) could help transform society positively.

Education

Ms Adzogble studied General Science at Ideal College in Accra and continued to study Database Technology, Systems Hardware and Networking at IPMC College of Technology. Later, she took up an online course in Business Studies at University of Edinburgh.

 “One evening upon getting home, I announced to my parents that I was going to start training the young ones in ICT, especially those who could not afford to pay for it, and that was the beginning of what the Caroline Group represents today.

“We want to change the face of education and make it the most affordable and accessible commodity on the planet,” she said.

According to her, everyone is entitled to a world-class education irrespective of age, race, colour and financial status, hence her decision to “uplift education in Africa and beyond”.

Operation

The education enthusiast, as part of several other commitments, hosts short term seminars and professional development courses for aspiring entrepreneurs and corporate organisations in different cities in Kenya, the United States of America and The United Kingdom.

Ms Adzogble believes a lot of people are unable to find the educational opportunities available to them but it could be made much easier.

“People do not understand that online education is the future and it is closer than we think; we intend to enlighten them and help schools better understand their operations,” she noted.

The Caroline Group, she added, wants to combat fraudulent activities of “agents” who charged students outrageous fees under the pretext of placing them in educational institutions abroad.

Notable among her educational interventions is the one million dollar ($1M) scholarship scheme for 100 African students, which was initiated in 2018, in addition to the 100 laptop project for students, which also came on board in 2019, through her social media platform.

Both programmes, she said, were still ongoing. Explaining that, individuals would have to express their interest after which they go through a selection process and get shortlisted for the scheme.

Challenges

While she encourages young people to approach their educational and personal development goals with a sense of urgency, Ms Adzogble observed that, managing people has been one of her challenges.

“I try to incorporate foreign culture into my companies by training people, giving them the opportunities to grow and highly compensating them for it.

“But people take the opportunities you give them for granted and often deliberately create problems for you. I am still on the verge of finding the right people,” she noted.

Nonetheless, her group was still capitalising on technology to handle about 80 per cent of its operations worldwide, and continues to employ people for different purposes.

As an advocate, Ms Adzogble comments on educational matters and engages stakeholders in the sector to deliberate on possible ways of improving teaching and learning.

Her books, ‘Super-Agent and Super School’, she noted, have received positive response and was completely sold out in Nigeria in 2016.

Caroline Group of Companies, she stressed, would transcend local and international boarders in the years ahead, as the company continues to gain recognition from players within the sector.

Ms Adzogble, who intends to retire from her CEO post at age 30, has been recognised for her contribution to the sector. She recently received the President’s Youth Prize from the Millennium Excellence Foundation, among other achievements.

“I plan on retiring at 30 because I would have raised great leaders and education consultants who will do wonders. I would be more of an advisor and see the youth work their magic.

“Retirement is not the end of the legacy; it is actually the beginning because every seed I am sowing now will be bearing fruits and it will be the beginning of a new generation,” she said. 

Ms Adzogble did not disclose her relationship status but said she wants to focus on family, have twins and tour the world after retirement.

Ms Adzogble whose hobby is writing  urged young people to continue chasing their dreams and not give up no matter how rugged the road may be.

Source: by Ghanaian times