The Paramount Queenmother of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Nana Abena Kunadjoa II, has launched a five-year educational project aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy in the Wassa Fiase.
The project, supported by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, is targeted at both male and female teenagers of school-going age in the traditional area, and has consequently kick-started at Kyekyewere, a local community near Damang, as the first point of the outreach programme.
About 60 pupils, drawn from both public and private school from five communities, participated in the programme, where they were educated on the dangers of teenage pregnancy.
The pupils were drawn from Amoanda M/A Basic School, Hunni-Valley M/A Basic, Kyekyewere Zion, Alhaji Mustapha Islamic School, Abosso Glass Factory Complex, and Bosumtwi M/A Basic School.
Launching the project, which coincided with its first educational outreach, Nana Abena Kunadjoa II pointed out that the project was geared towards women empowerment, by guiding and guarding teenagers to stay away from sex, and rather concentrate on their education.
She said, in achieving the aim and vision of the five-year project, parents and teachers had a role to play to make the traditional area free from teenage pregnancies.
She said, due to the importance of the programme, the next point of call was Adum Banso, Daboase and Prestea, where hundreds of male and female youth of school-going age would benefit from talk on teenage pregnancy.
The Ghana Education Service Girl Child Officer for the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, Gifty Efua Nimako, educated the participants on the dangers associated with teenage pregnancy, and advised parents not to entertain fear in educating their wards about sex.
She said, if parents failed or refused to educate their wards about sex, their friends would do so, but in a negative way.
“If we don’t begin and educate our wards about sex, and their friends do, they will not take sex education from us, and this can be dangerous.”
She explained that, her reason for asking parents to inculcate the habit of educating their wards about sex was that, the urge for sex amongst teenagers at a certain age was a natural phenomenon.
As a result, what to do and how to overcome the urge when it comes naturally was very important in guiding teenagers to avert teenage pregnancy.
In doing so, she said, teenage pregnancy would reduce when parents engage their wards and educate them about teenage pregnancy.
That, she explained, was the reason it was advisable for parents to do away with fear and rather sit down their wards and teach and educate them about the dangers of early sex.
Turning her attention to the pupils, the Tarkwa Nsuaem Ghana Education Service (GES) Girl Child Officer also advised the pupils to tread cautiously as they grow into womanhood, because teenage pregnancy could cut short their educational dream.
For this reason, they should either avoid it or better use protection before it cut short their dreams.
Present at the outreach programe were Nana Ama Saarah, Queen mother of Subri, Nana Ama Adoma Kyirewa, Queenmother Koduakrom, Nana Akua Aya, Queenmother, Amoanda, Nana Ekua Asanoa, Queenmother, Twenda, Nana Esi Foriwaa, Queenmother, Kyekyewere and Nana Adjoa Korantwiwa II, Queen mother, Bompieso.
Addressing the pupils, the Queen mother of Subri, Nana Ama Saarah I pointed out that, one of the major causes of teenage pregnancy was as a result of father’s irresponsibility.
She said, any father who deserted his responsibility to take care of the ward was blamable and cause of teenage pregnancy and same should be punished as such.
Nevertheless, Nana Ama Saarah said as Subri Queen mother, “ my dream is vision is for every school going girl and boy to complete school and not become a waste.
For this reason, she advised the pupils to build strong relationship between their books and parents and stay away from teenage pregnancy.
“When you are caught in the trap of teenage pregnancy and unable to continue your education, you become jealous when you see your mate progress in educational ladder”. PIC: the pupils at the first outreach educational programme at Kyekyewere.
