A non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating in the Kassena-Nankana municipality in the Upper East Region, Our Lady of Mercy Community Services (OLAM), has reiterated the need for government to subsidise sanitary pads for girls in junior high school (JHS) and senior high schools (SHS).
According to Executive Director of the NGO, Emmanuel Atiiga, a research conducted by his outfit reveals that teenage pregnancies in SHSs and JHSs of the municipality are largely attributable to the inability of menstruating girls of school-going age to afford sanitary pads during their menstrual periods, as the cost of its market price shoots up from GH¢15 to GH¢20 – a situation that he said makes female students vulnerable to engaging in unwanted sexual relationships with depraved men, leading to unwanted pregnancies.
He made this call when his outfit donated 480 sanitary pads – as well as detergents, cooking oil, rice, assorted drinks among others – to over 200 female students of the Mirigu SHS in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, as part of this year’s African Union Day (AU).
Speaking to administrators and students of the school, Mr. Atiiga explained that the gesture forms part of OLAM’s outreach programme to educate female students on sexual health, reproductive issues with the assistance of resource persons from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana Health Service (GHS).
While encouraging them to strive toward becoming good future leaders, the Executive Director entreated students to set out a vision for themselves and work hard toward achieving the same.
He however lamented the spate of teenage pregnancy among young schoolgirls, saying it is becoming alarming nationwide. To mitigate the situation, he said that his outfit has been supporting second cycle schools in the municipality and its environs with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA -SENEGAL), VASTENACTIE and L’Oreal.
Meanwhile, Anastacia A. Musah – Assembly Member of the Atosale Azaasi Electoral Area, admonished female students to stay away from premarital sex and concentrate on their studies.
Additionally, Mrs. Florence Ernestina Bobi – president of the Kaana Manga Women Association – while advising female students against having sexual relationships with men, urged them to avoid friends who might influence them to engage in premarital sex that will affect their future.
She added that even though the growth of their bodies comes with a strong sexual urge, it is proper for female students to control such desires and remain disciplined until they are mature enough to be married.
A public health Nurse from the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Health Directorate, Matilda Yelbaya, called on parents to build cordial relationships with their children – particularly the female ones, so that they can discuss sexual reproductive issues with them.
She also urged parents to provide the needs of their teenage female children to prevent them from falling prey to unscrupulous men, who will capitalise on providing their needs to lure them into sexual relationships.
The Senior House Master, Mahama Braimah who received the items on behalf of the school, thanked the NGO for its support and said they will help improve the school’s academic standards and urged others to follow suit.
