Remodelling Early Mothers Initiative Empowers youth Of Ada in Ghana

Remodelling Early Mothers Initiative (REMI), a not-for profit organization dedicated to the promotion of positive behavioral change through the provision of counseling services, educational and training opportunities for first time early mothers to guarantee quality lives for the mother and child held a workshop in Ada Ghana to train and empower local youths.

Ada, one of the regions in Ghana that has a high rate of teenage pregnancy recently caught the eye of REMI in June 2015 as the organization set out to help mitigate the harsh effects of the alarming rate of pregnant teens in the municipality through educational and self-empowerment workshops.

"We chose Ada because REMI felt the area needed some special attention that our non-profit was equipped to give" according to Rhoda Doku; Founder of REMI, who explained that "we used our efforts and expertise to help raise the self-esteem of these girls who have become pregnant teens whilst seeking social justice and developing their role in building sustainable and productive futures for themselves".

During the interaction with the young citizens of the Ada area in June, Rhoda Doku said she she totally related to their plight and needs, especially the girls. This is because "I personally lost my my father at age 13 and owing to the emotional void I became pregnant and a single parent too" Rhoda explained she was however lucky to have people around her that were supporting of the situation at the time.

"A lot of these youths here in Ada don't have that support structure, the community for the most part shuns pregnant teens; leaving them to shoulder the burden of such a huge responsibility -- the girls suffering the most in these cases" according to Rhoda, who personally led a team of volunteers from REMI to the area to teach its youths skills of self-sustenance in a bid to awaken them while filling them with confidence.

REMI believes it is very significant to empower not just the females, but the males too because it does not take only the female in getting pregnant. The non-profit called on societies in Ghana and across Africa to encourage their young men who indulge in premarital sex to take responsibility for the child when the issue of pregnancy arises.

Some citizens of the area described the June workshop as a positive step in engaging the youth in vocational skills training, psychological and emotional alertness for handling their respective situations and how to turn a seeming negative scenario into a beneficial one.

"The talk on building one's character, competence and capacity as a youth to prepare them well for the future ahead by Ms Rhoda Doku was really inspiring" said one young beneficiary who is looking to return to school and encourage her friends to do same.

The REMI organization was registered by Rhoda Doku in 2010 in Ghana where she majored in Communication studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Rhoda also holds an MA in International Studies from the Ohio University in USA with concentrations on Gender, Environment, and Development and Nonprofit Management.

Find out more about REMI or how to become a part of their vision by visiting their website www.remiAfrica.org