By Antoinette Abbah
In a bid to empower adolescent mothers, the United Nations Population Fund has donated ten industrial sewing machines and twenty mattresses to the Nana Afrakoma Vocational Training Institute.
The presentation took place at Akwamufie in the Eastern Region. UNFPA Country Director, Dr Wilfred Ochan, said his organization will continue to engage traditional leaders to prevent teenage pregnancy and child marriage at the community level.
Nana Afrakoma Vocational Training Institute was established two years ago by the Paramount Queen of the Akwamu Traditional Area, to train teenage mothers who dropped out of school due to pregnancy.
Some months on, the Centre is now a home to girls of all backgrounds who for one reason or the other dropped out of school.
The donation follows a request made by Nana Afrakoma, when the Costa Rican Vice President, Campbell Barr and UNFPA Executive Director, Natalia Kanen, visited the centre. Country Director of UNFPA, Dr Wilfred Ochan, said when adolescents are empowered, they can resist harmful practices and be assertive with choices they make regarding their lives. “Let us deploy the empowerment of adolescents, as a strategic tool to enable them to resist harmful practices such as teenage pregnancy as well as be assertive with the choices of their menstrual health.
This journey towards the three zeros requires the harmonization of the diverse voices of men, women, girls and boys from all over the world in a resounding chorus towards achieving equality for all, he said”.
Administrator of the Nana Afrakoma Vocational Institute, Selali Mary Helego said they have courses such as fashion design, hairdressing, and food and nutrition.
The trainees after completion of the course will be presented with start- up capital.
“Most of the students will graduate hopefully by February 2023. They have finished writing their NVTI exams. Our Queen mother has assured students here that they will give them a setting capital. We want all of them to have something to do. For fashion they will have sewing machines, beading too. Those who did hairdressing will be given dryers. All is possible with the support of UNFPA, Nana Afrakoma and other donors. With their education, since we started till now, teenage pregnancy cases have reduced drastically in our community,” she noted.
Two teenage mothers who are students, Lovia Ackuaku and Kumi Esther of the Institute expressed their appreciation to the benefactors for not giving up on them.
“Without them I don’t know where I would be. At first, I used to hawk oysters at Atimpoku roundabout. I have one child but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of my life. I thank UNFPA and Nana Afrakoma for the opportunity and I would encourage anyone in my situation to come to the institute and learn an employable skill that will help them in the future,” Lovia Ackuaku said.
“This has helped me a lot. I completed SHS and there was no money for me to continue. So, I heard of this school through a friend. I came and I filled the form and I was given a hostel to sleep in because I was from afar. I have been here for a year now and I have learnt a lot from braiding to the applying of make-up. I will tell other girls like me to stand up and fight for themselves,” Kumi Esther added.
Paramount Queen of Akwamuman, Nana Afrakoma, thanked UNFPA and all donors for working in partnership with the traditional authorities to empower adolescents, so that they can be assertive to make informed decisions for their future.
MP for Asuogyaman, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, honoured traditional leaders in Akwamuman for their exceptional role and contribution towards reducing teenage pregnancy in the community.
