The establishment of the Virtuous Club in the Bongo Feo community in the Bongo of the Upper East Region has contributed significantly to a reduction in teenage pregnancies, early child marriages, and school drop-out among school girls in the area. This came to light during a forum organised by the queen mothers of the Bongo Feo community on Thursday.
The Virtuous Club, an intervention spearheaded by the Queen Mother of the traditional area, Pognaba Agamboka Felicia, is made up of girls between the ages of 10 and 17 from the primary and Junior High Schools in the community.
According to Kamaru Jemera, a 15-year-old class six pupil, teachings and activities in the club have positively impacted the lives of many young girls, including her.
“Had it not been the club, most of us would have become pregnant and dropped out of school, as well as be forced into early marriages. The club, through its sensitisation programme on sexual reproductive health, management of menstrual periods, premarital sex, among others, have helped us a lot,” she said.
15-year-old Junior High School student, Emelia Agambika, also noted that unlike in the past, where many of them used to attend funerals and passing out ceremonies at nights, they no longer engage in such practices, a situation she said has prevented many teenage girls from becoming pregnant.
For Nyaba Bashira, a-14-year-old Junior High School form two student, she has learnt a lot about personal hygiene and how to keep the home and environment clean through the teachings in the club.
Thanking the Queen Mother for the good initiative, she further said the club has nurtured them to have a sense of patriotism and good moral values such as the need to respect parents, teachers and the elderly in the community, as well as taking their studies seriously.
The patron of the club, Pognaba Agamboka, explained that the rate at which teenage pregnancies were being recorded was alarming, hence, the formation of the club to create awareness and advocate for more policies to help address the issues that were jeopardising the future of the younger generation.
“We meet twice in a week, where resource persons educate the young girls on personal development,” he noted, adding that since the formation of the club four years ago, many girls in Junior High Schools in the area have enrolled into Senior High Schools without becoming pregnant. We have also been undertaking clean-up exercises in the community periodically to ensure a conducive atmosphere for staying.”
She further acknowledged the support of Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), UNICEF-Ghana, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, and appealed to other development partners for more support to help build the future of the young generation in the Bongo District.
