Adaklu -Waya (V/R), Jan. 16, GNA – Global Action for Women Empowerment (GLOWA), a Non-Governmental Organisation has organised a day’s intensive training for 20 adolescent girls and five patrons in leadership roles.
Madam Ivy Bedy, Project Officer, GLOWA said the training was to build the capacity of the participants to discharge their duties effectively as advocates and patrons of Sexual Reproductive Health and Right Clubs in their communities.
She said, GLOWA formed the Clubs in the various communities as part of its quest to increase awareness of sexual and gender based violence and protection of the rights of adolescents.
Madam Bedy said when adolescents were well educated on their basic rights, they would become more empowered to demand those rights and report cases of abuse against them to the appropriate authorities for redress.
She said the desired objective of the project could only be achieved if the leaders and patrons were properly equipped and their confidence level built to enable them undertake their tasks, hence the training.
Mr Godwin Kofi Nkansah, Programmes Officer, GLOWA told Ghana News Agency (GNA) they were focusing also on COVID-19 pandemic, educating them to adhere to the protocols.
He said the fight against the pandemic required a collective effort, calling on the citizens to endeavour to observe the laid down measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Mr Phanuel Donkor Kadey, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Adaklu, asked the participants to be time conscious as schools were due to be reopened and put much effort in their studies to enable them excel to become good and responsible future leaders of the country.
He charged them to observe the COVID-19 preventive protocols to stem the spread of the disease.
The DCE commended GLOWA for the initiative and asked the participants to be obedient to their patrons, parents, teachers and other authorities as obedience was an important tool for the advancement of mankind.
Mr Israel Akrobortu, Volta Regional Director, Department of Children, called on all to ensure that the fundamental human rights of the child were respected.
He said children must be given proper care and protection so they could grow up to realise their dreams and become responsible citizens who would take the mantle of leadership of the country
Mr Akrobortu charged people who abuse the rights of children to desist from such acts, saying it was against the law and anyone caught would face the law.
Madam Susan Termley Akortia, Adaklu District Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, implored the participants to avoid engaging in sexual activities especially unprotected ones.
She asked them to focus on their studies and report anyone pestering them for sex to their parents or appropriate authorities for action.
Madam Akortia admonished them to serve as peer educators and share with their friends what they had learnt so they could together ensure that their rights were not abused.
The participants were taken through fundamental human rights, gender roles, types of abuses, channel of reporting abuse cases, leadership roles among others.
Some participants who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the training had built their confidence level and would help them execute their tasks effectively.
They were grateful to GLOWA for equipping them with the requisite knowledge which would help them navigate through life with ease.
The participants were drawn from Dzakpo, Dawanu, Agblefe, Goefe and Aziedukofe communities in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region.
GNA