Plan Ghana empowers more girls

More than 100 basic school girls from the East Akyem and Akuapem North Municipalities in the Eastern Region have been trained in Adolescence Reproductive Health issues at a Camp, organised Plan Ghana.

Under the Girls’ Power Project, which priorities education and development of children, the girls were also given education on Gender and Information and Communications Technology.

The Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry sponsored the Project, the sixth in a series of seven, for the year.

Mr Prem Shukla, Country Director of Plan Ghana, said the Girls’ Camp was in line with the organisation’s ‘Because I am Girl’ Campaign, which aims at supporting four million girls to get the education, skills and support they needed to transform their lives.

The nine-day Camp, hosted at Achimota, in collaboration with Girls’ Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service, was on the theme: “Aspiring to Inspire: Minimizing Unprepared Motherhood”.

Mr Shukla said Plan Ghana has since 1992 designed and implemented strategic programmes, including, scholarships for girls, vocational training in various fields, building of girls’ friendly schools, and many other such interventions, targeted at ensuring the empowerment of the girl child in society.

He said so far 800 girls had benefitted from the camp and many more would be brought onboard.

“My dear girl campers, I will like you to know that the world has a special need of each of you,” he said. “You are the future leaders of this noble country and we need you to take your education seriously and ensure that you do not drop out of school due to unprepared motherhoods.”

Ms Rita Edem Apedo, a Junior High Form Two student of the Akropong School for the Blind, described that camp as very educative and inspiring.

On behalf of her colleagues, she expressed gratitude to Plan Ghana, the GES and the Dutch Government for organizing the programme for them.

Ms Apedo said they were ready to carry the good news from the camp to their various communities and schools.

Each participant received a certificate of participation.