Tema, March 26, GNA – The Mama Happy Life Enhancement Foundation (MAHLEF), a non-governmental organization (NGO)in Tema Newtown has metamorphosed into “a home away from home” for teenage mothers and their children.
The Reverend Mrs Georgina Happy Crentsil, MAHLEF Founder said the foundation housed teenage mothers, pre-adolescents with no place to stay, young orphaned children and vulnerable widows.
She said the foundation had enrolled over 50 children into basic schools with some in Senior High School.
Rev. Crentsil told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Tema that the foundation advocated teenage pregnancy prevention, provided assistance to teenage mothers and also empowered the young mothers through a recovery programme.
She said MAHLEF also had facilities that served as teenage pregnancy care centres, educated teenage mothers through life skills training and non-formal education.
The centre also offered entrepreneurship training with the hope of equipping them with valuable skills to enable them earn a living.
Rev. Mrs. Crentsil stated that the facility through its “Bridge the Gap Programme,” taught children without formal education to a point where they could be re-integrated into mainstream school system adding that teenage pregnancy was a predominant social issue.
She said apart from providing basic necessities and educational needs, the foundation also catered for their health needs including; the payment of hospital bills.
“We also provide the teenage mothers with sanitary pads, toiletries, clothing and shoes in order for the teenagers not to depend on men who would take advantage of them again,” Rev. Crentsil.
She said, “Through the prevention programme we train young children on the right path because their minds are not corrupted unless the teenage mothers who are already set in their ways as they have already gone on a certain path.”
Rev. Mrs Crentsil however noted that the foundation faced financial and infrastructural challenges and therefore called on benevolent individuals and civil society groups to support them continue with the good work in the community.
GNA