Peer Educators from the Bongo District have expressed concern about over-familiarity with members of the community that is affecting the reception and response to their message on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the District. They complain about the apathy expressed by some members of the community is a great disincentive to educating their peers on matters of Drug abuse, teenage pregnancy amongst other issues of concern in the District. A Peer Educator John Ayamga made this known in an interview on the sidelines of a review meeting for 50 Peer Educators on sexual and reproductive health and rights activities in six districts in the Upper East region held in Bolgatanga.
While citing the lack of formal introduction by the National Youth Authority to the communities, the lack of dedicated funding as well as personal protective equipment as other challenges confronting the Peer Educators, Mr. Ayamga maintained in spite of the many challenges the Peer Educator usually cease the opportunity at youth meetings, community gatherings as well phone-in segment on Radio programs to put their message across. When contacted the Upper East Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Francis Takyi Koranteng acknowledged the challenges following his familiarization tour to some of the districts, adding the concerns will be channeled to the appropriate quarters for the needed attention to resource the peer educators. He encouraged peer educators to make reports and footages of their activities in their various communities to serve as a document that can be used to seek support from donors.
The National Youth Authority is a co-implementor with the Regional Coordinating Council implementing the government of Ghana and UNDFP 2018-2022 country program for youth representatives in Talensi, Bongo, Nabdam, Bawku West, Builsa south, and Kassena Nankana West Districts of the Upper East Region. The UNDF sponsored comprehensive sexuality education aims at helping youth between 15 and 19 years old to make informed choices and to create awareness at the Community level for all stakeholders to appreciate the challenges and traditional phenomenon that hinders young people’s access to information, services, and supplies they need to make a safe, healthy and fulfilling transition to adulthood.
The Upper East Regional Director of the National Youth Authority observed that there had been a remarkable improvement in some aspects of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights in the country, saying most girls spend time on educational progression and employable skills acquisition. Speaking at a review meeting for 50 Peer Educators on sexual and reproductive health and rights activities in six districts in the Upper East region he expressed excitement that harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation, trokosi system, limitation of girls to the kitchen or baby care rooms have reduced admitting that more effort to be done. The meeting organized by the National Youth Authority and the regional coordinating council under the government of Ghana and UNDFP 2018-2022 country programme for youth representatives in six Districts.
Mr. Takyi Koranteng further urged all new and existing youth-focused organizations in the region to register with the National Youth Authority for the needed recognition on their database in order to benefit from policies and programmes of the Authority. The National Youth Authority has since October 5, 2020, begun processes to re-register all existing and registration of all newly formed youth-focused organizations at the community, district and regional level in line with Section 25 of the National Youth Authority Act. This is part of their mandate to compile an up to date comprehensive and reliable database to ensure purposeful and more effective coordination of youth development and empowerment intervention and to effectively regulate the youth sector. This will lead to the formation of the Ghana Youth Federation in fulfillment of section 3 (d) of Act 939.
Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/contributor Prosper Adankai
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