Be wary of peer pressure - Girls advised
The Asokore-Mampong Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Kate Agyemang Badu, has advised young girls to be wary of peer pressure influence and be mindful of the character of the people they make friends with.
She said they had to associate with people who had positive ambitions and the aim to succeed in life, since those with bad character could negatively influence them to engage in anti-social vices that would jeopardise their future.
Speaking at the second girls’ camp for 100 girls drawn from Kwabre, Obuasi, Kumasi and Bosomtwe districts, at Oduom in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, she observed that the main challenges facing girls of today were early marriages, leading to teenage pregnancy; negative cultural practices and peer pressure from bad company.
Unprepared motherhood
She said the best way to avoid unprepared motherhood was for young girls to keep to their books, and abide by advice from their parents, she tasked the girls to take their studies seriously and try to read at least one book a month to broaden their knowledge and improve on their vocabulary.
The camp, which was organised by the Ghana Non-governmental organisations Coalition on Rights of Children (GNCRC), in collaboration with Plan Ghana and the Defence for Children International –Ghana, was on the theme: “Aspiring to Inspire: Minimising unprepared motherhood.” The girls’ camp formed part of the Girl Power Programme, which is financed by The Netherlands Government and being implemented by Plan International in 10 countries worldwide.
Focus of project
The project, which started in 2011, focuses on four main areas. These are reducing violence against girls and young women; promoting post-primary education for girls and young women; and promoting economic and socio-political participation of girls and young women.
According to the manager for Girl Power Programme, Madam Margaret Brew-Ward, the objective of girls’ camp was to inculcate in the girls assertiveness and life skills that would help them face and deal with the challenges that might face them as they pursued higher education.
Participants
The participants dealt with topics like sexual reproductive health; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); reading skills; and behavioural skills.
The acting National Coordinator of GNCRC, Barima Akwasi Amankwaah, said in spite of all the advancement in technology and science, some parents still married their daughters off at a very tender age.
That, he said, was preventing the girls from fully developing their talents as it curtailed their education.
He called on parents and stakeholders to be proactive and protective towards the growth and development of girls and young women, stressing that boys and men “have important roles and responsibilities to ensure that girls and young women are not harassed or prevented from pursuing their dream goals.”
Related development
In a related development, a nine-day camp for 100 basic schoolgirls from the East Akyem and Akuapem North Municipalities in the Eastern Region has ended in Accra.
The camp was organised by Plan Ghana, in collaboration with Girls’ Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), to train the girls in Adolescent Reproductive Health issues.
It was on the theme: “Aspiring to Inspire: Minimising Unprepared Motherhood”.
The participants were educated on Gender issues and Information and Communications Technology ICT.
Addressing the girls, the Country Director of Plan Ghana, Mr Prem Shukla, said the camp was aimed at supporting the girls to get the needed education and skills to transform their lives.
Ms Rita Edem Apedo of the Akropong School for the Blind, on behalf of her colleagues, thanked Plan Ghana, GES and the Dutch Government for the programme and expressed optimism that it would positively impact on their lives.