The Akyemansa District Director of Education and staff at the Education Directorate and other sponsors have contributed monies to purchase and distribute quantities of sanitary pads to vulnerable and poor girls in various schools in the district to curb “sex for pad” menace leading to alarming rate of teenage pregnancies in the district.
Many young girls are unable to afford sanitary pads to manage their menstrual flow .
Their poor parents are also unable to support them have access to this important material forcing some of the girls to engage in sexual relationship with young men mostly Okada riders in exchange of financial support for sanitary pads and other personal needs.
This has been identified as fueling factor for the high cases of teenage pregnancy among school girls in the district.
Akyemansa District recorded the highest teenage pregnancy cases in Eastern region in 2021 but dropped to second position in 2022.
The District Education Director Akua Ayisi who was met in some of the rural communities on Thursday distributing sanitary pads to Junior High School girls described as worrying the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the district.
She partly blamed the situation on poverty and lack of parental care.
Meanwhile, Ark Development Organization an NGO, together with GES and the Department of Social Welfare – Akyemansa District continue to engage adolescents on the “Cross Your Leg” Campaign .
The campaign embedded under the extended Safe and Protective Environment for Adolescent Development (SPREAD)” project sponsored by UNICEF and being implemented by Ark Development Organization seeks to significantly reduce teenage pregnancy in the district through multifaceted interventions.
Executive Director of the NGO, Emmanuel Kwarfo Mintah ” we are preaching abstinence to help reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies in the district under the extended phase of the SPREAD Project with support from UNICEF Ghana.Here, the team continues to engage the girl clubs in the various schools across the district sensitizing girls about menstrual hygiene. In addition, boxes of sanitary pads were donated to the clubs as well”.
The district education director acknowledged the positive impact of the project in gradual reduction of the teenage pregnancy in Akyemansa District.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
