Gbarpolu County – About 40 school going girls between the ages of 12 to 25 have vowed to end teenage pregnancy in Gbarpolu County after identifying three major issues that were hindering their Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County.
They attributed teenage pregnancy to lack of education, lack of support from parents and their Communities. According to them these were key issues hampering their progress in achieving their goal.
The girls vowed to end this nightmare by organizing themselves into groups within their various Communities in order to campaign against teenage pregnancy under one identity called Hero Officials.
Ms. Korpo Kowah was named head of Bopolu City Community followed by Ms. Angeline Victor- Vice President and Ms. Lydia T. Moore-Secretary General.
Farwhenta Community is headed by Ms. Naomi Gbarto and Ms. Jacqueline J. Torsue serving as Vice President.
Linda Moses head Gaynimah Community followed by Musu J. Sheriff-Vice President and Nengbeh Kerkulali-Secretary.
The girls reach the decision at the end of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa annual Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights Training formerly SEGAL Ambassador for Family Training Workshop renamed Health and Rights Officials (HERO) after the inclusion of male participants which ran from July 13-15 with 40 girls and boys between the ages of 12 to 25 participating in the event at Bopolu City Hall, Gbarpolu County.
Prior to the opening ceremony GPFA Program Officer Mrs. Johanna Freeman, gave an overview of the three -day workshop with the acronym HERO meaning Health and Right Officials as well as the names of the facilitators.
Madam Leymah Gbowee, President and Founder of GPFA who served as one of the facilitators was accompanied by Ms. Ansahta Garnett, GPFA Administrative Director with few of the institutions scholars to found part of opening ceremony at the Bopolu City Hall in Gbarpolu County.
Madam Gbowee spoke on the Topic: Knowledge of Self with a question: ‘Who Am I?’ At a well arranged and interactive session with Madam Gbowee, the girls informed the GPFA President and Founder about themselves and the challenges they were faced with when it comes to their health and rights as female in Gbarpolu County.
They were placed in various groups where they outlined several issues that were widely affecting them as it relates to the discussion.
Mr. David Konneh, GPFA Program Managers and Mrs. Freeman, GPFA ,Program Officer in a separate presentation spoke on the topic: Envisioning Your Future. The topic was discussed extensively with interaction before the girls were placed in various groups with poster sheets and several points were listed where each group was allotted five minutes for presentation.
Mr. Noami Solanke, Executive Director Community Health Initiative lectured on the topic: Reproductive Health and Rights with three sub-topics including (a) addressing self-care & respect for self (b) addressing personal hygiene and (c) addressing communal hygiene.
Madam Orina Seh a nurse of Chief Loon Hospital in Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County informed the girls on the various methods in preventing teenage pregnancy.
The three -day event which ended on July 15, 2016 saw the girls with male counterpart participating for the first time since GPFA launched this annual event two years ago.
The HERO workshop is geared toward providing knowledge in sexual reproductive health and rights with an objective of giving knowledge on reducing teenage pregnancy, poverty, sexually transmitted disease and encouraging girls to go to school. The GPFA annual HERO workshop is sponsored by SEGAL Family Foundation.