The NGO with funding support from STAR-Ghana is implementing a project dubbed “Creating awareness on sexual reproductive health rights, child and forced marriages through youth initiatives and community action”, in the Kassena Nankana Municipal and the Kassena-Nankana West District.

Mr Arthur Wekem Balinia Addah, on behalf of the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Dr Augustine Atudiku Asagipaare I, made the pledge during a town hall meeting organized by the NGO in Navrongo.

It was aimed at soliciting the views and support of stakeholders to effectively implement the project.

The Paramount Chief said the traditional council was amazed and disturbed by the revealing statistics of child and forced marriages in the area adding that as part of the effort in fighting the canker, the council would task all the sub chiefs in the area to work with the NGO to help tackle the phenomenon.

Mrs Anna Kye-eebo, the Kassena Nankana Municipal Director of Education, who attributed the cause of child and forced marriages partly to broken homes, said peace at home is a critical tool for the proper upbringing of children particularly the girl-child.

Mr Emmanuel Atiiga, the Project Director of OLAM, said the strategies to be adopted in tackling the issue include mapping out various communities where child and forced marriages are rampant, creating public awareness campaigns on negative actions and discrimination against the adolescent   through town hall meetings and local authority consultations, building the capacity of stakeholders through workshops and using radio programmes for sensitization and education.

He said project would also  establish at least three counselling centres in the districts for adolescent counselling and identify  part-time counsellors per centre, provide  logistical support  and undertake  outreach programmes to cover 30 Junior and Senior High Schools to establish peer educators clubs termed as “OLAM Peer Educators  Clubs”.

“The project will also offer skills training opportunities in batik, tie and dye, soap making, beads making, dressmaking and ICT for the youth.  Our target is to train at least 50 young girls by the end of the project. So far 34 young people are under training using the NVTI Exams”.

He said the project would also select women leaders from the “OLAM Kaana Manga Women Association”, distinguished various women groups, paramount queen mothers, the Municipal District Assembly and other resource persons from various departments.