Be Smart Learn and Stay Protected Project initiated by Plan International Ghana has celebrated its successful implementation for building safe communities to protect children in the country.
The initiative has transformed the lives of countless girls, young women, and their communities across all the project implementing areas in Ghana.
It focuses on the right to education for young girls to be safe and to thrive. The Be Smart Learn and Stay Protected initiative was to create an enabling environment by empowering them to learn hard.
Mr Constant Tchona, the Country Director for Plan International Ghana, stated that the program aims to protect young ladies from danger and support their dreams.
Mr Tchona explained that the project has been a remarkable development with unwavering support from community leaders, chiefs, opinion leaders and religious leaders.
‘‘The journey has not been without its challenges, particularly when we look at the young girls dropping out of school and those who are often the most vulnerable to exploitation and violence,’’ he said.
Mr Tchona indicated that: “this project has been a living embodiment of Plan International’s Theory of Change, where we focus not just on the girl, but on creating an enabling environment around her—one where she is empowered to learn, protected from harm, and supported in her dreams.”
Speaking at the close-out event of the Be Smart Learn and Stay Protected Project in Koforidua, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana said that they have worked tirelessly to ensure that adolescent girls—who face challenges such as vulnerability to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)—are given the opportunity to rise above their circumstances.
He disclosed they have reduced the teenage pregnancies in the communities by establishing Adolescent Clubs with Drop-in Centers as safe spaces for learning and growth.
“We have now possessed the self-assurance to voice their opinions, pursue their aspirations, and stand tall against the challenges they face,’’ Mr Tchona affirmed.
He articulated that through the Be Smart Learn and Stay Protected Project, they have trained and empowered community child protection committees to ensure that SGBV is no longer a silent epidemic in the communities.
Mr Tchona commended the committees for being key players in identifying, addressing, and preventing child protection breaches for an environment where girls can learn, grow, and feel secure.
He vowed that the project stands as a powerful declaration that their communities will no longer tolerate harmful practices and upheld rights of girls.
“The Be Smart Lean and Stay Protected project has ensured that these young girls were not left behind. By providing apprenticeship enrollment opportunities, start-up kits, and entrepreneurship training, we have helped them gain skills and start their own livelihoods, giving them the agency to shape their own futures. This is the kind of empowerment that paves the way for true change and resilience,’’ Mr Tchona averred.
He added that they have formatted for Savings and Loans Groups for parents and caregivers which has acted as a lifeline, not only offering a financial cushion but also creating platforms for sensitization on child protection and the prevention of SGBV.
Mr Tchona revealed that they have provided the needed support for families to take on their responsibilities with dignity and confidence in the areas.
“The success of the Be Smart Learn and Stay Protected project would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of our district-level agencies, whose active participation in planning and implementing project activities has ensured an integrated and holistic approach,’’ said Mr Tchona.
Through the development of sustainability plans with district and community stakeholders, he indicated that Plan International Ghana has provided motorbikes for follow-ups and monitoring, the rehabilitation of Drop-in Centers, and the distribution of additional Information, Education, and Communication materials for the growing number of adolescent clubs.
Source:Akosua Asabea Kropa/Nhyiraba Solomon Nartey
