FIDA rewards nine teenage girls
FIDA Ghana has presented awards to nine students who emerged winners in its poetry contest aimed at creating awareness of HIV prevention among teenage girls.
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For winning the contest, Abigail Osei Korsah of the Teshie LEKMA 12 JHS took home a cash amount of GH¢200 and a set of books. Alice Bisiba Najombe, who placed second received a cash amount of GH¢150 and a set of books, while Sandra Abban, the third winner received GH¢100. The rest of the winners were given a set of books.
Dubbed, ‘My body, my wealth,’ the contestants were expected to convey to their peers that bodily integrity will result in HIV prevention and also knowledge about bodily rights empower teenage girls to make wise decisions that protect their rights.
Over 50 entries were received out of which the best nine poems were selected for the awards.
The Executive Secretary to FIDA Ghana, Ms Eleanor Barnes-Botchway, in an address said FIDA Ghana, with support from the African Women Development Fund (AWDF), launched the poetry contest as a way of using the power of the spoken word to raise awareness of the prevention of HIV and AIDS and to increase knowledge among adolescent girls on bodily rights.
“The message our young female poets seek to convey to the adolescent girl is that knowledge about bodily rights empowers the teenage girl. The application of this knowledge will make adolescents wise to take decisions that protect their bodily rights,” she added.
She explained that FIDA decided to focus on adolescent girls because the association’s work with women living with HIV and AIDS provided evidence that adolescent girls face challenges that were unique to them.
The issue of sexual violence, child marriage and lack of comprehensive information on sex education make young girls particularly vulnerable as girls are contracting HIV and AIDS through sexual violence, as well as risky sexual behaviour,’ she added.
Mrs Barnes-Botchway stressed that adolescent girls were the future and must, therefore, be engaged at all levels to ensure that they were not left behind.