Monrovia – The government of Sweden and the United Nations’ Population Fund have signed a grant agreement aimed to increase the skills of young people in four Counties in Liberia.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
The agreement seeks to build the capacities of the young people towards the reduction of the high rate of teenage pregnancies in Liberia, particularly targeting the Southeastern part of the country which is said to be mostly affected.
The gesture comes following the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund for the implementation of the project titled ‘Empower and fulfilled’ aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of young people between 10 and 19 years of age about their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
It also seeks to achieve three objectives including social, education, health system delivery, sexual and reproduction and family planning information as well as services to young people between the ages 10-19 years.
It also looks at increased knowledge and skills on sexual reproductive health and family planning education and services, targeting youth between the ages 10-19 years, while targeted institutions and structures to enable environment them promote sexual and reproductive health and rights including access to family planning services at national and sub-national level.
Beneficiaries of the project are women and young people between 10 and 19 years but UNFPA said the project will prioritize the most vulnerable and marginalized groups predominantly, women and young people.
Sweden has contributed US$4, 670,000 for the four years of implementation, while UNFPA has offered US$675, 600 similarly.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Monrovia, Liberia’s Youth and Sports Minister Saah N’tow described the agreement as very important to the young people of Liberia, adding that most of these supports are straightly intended to help move Liberia in terms of development, emphasizing the need for government to adequately make use of the opportunities as listed.
Minister N’tow urged young people in the four year project implementation regions to take advantage of the initiative noting, it will help them understand how to invest in themselves.
“My ministry will work in line with all of the sectors involved in ensuring that beside doing things for young people, they must also get involve in initiative by themselves in coming up with innovation to achieve what we hope to”, Minister N’tow said.
He emphasized the need for Liberia to improve on the education of its youthful population, adding that the population is likely to increase by the year 2030 and must be included in the system of government.
The Liberian Youth and Sports Minister stated the importance of his ministry and its partners to help young people across the country understand the importance of family planning aimed at reducing maternal mortality rate and early child birth for the betterment of the country’s future generation.
“We are very happy that our strong supporter, the UNFPA has decided to take us to another level in supporting this program and there is a tendency sometimes in focusing on the dollars we gain than paying attention to the work, I hope this will not be this time in supporting this program”, Minister N’tow maintained.
At the same time, UNFPA Representative to Liberia Dr. Oluremi Sogunro said, teenage pregnancy is threatening the core of the Liberian society which poses a risk for adolescents to complete education and deny them from attaining skills that would attract gainful employment as well as perpetuating poverty circle.
“Today, we start on a new journey to change the tide with a significant push from our friends, the government and people of Sweden.
A typical adolescent in Liberia, like most part of Sub-Saharan Africa will lack the knowledge about sexual reproductive health, contraception and their attitude towards pregnancy will be far from realities of its unforeseen consequences”, Dr. Sogunro asserted.
According to him, such programs will improve their skills on safer sexual practices and improve opportunities through education in increasing their self-efficacy and purpose in life.
Dr. Sogunro reminded parents of their responsibilities to hold the primary responsibilities of guiding their young through adolescence by equipping them with knowledge and skills to battle social challenges including early sexual onset and teenage pregnancies.
He pointed out that the program attempts to address challenges faced by young people through increased connectedness between parents and their adolescents, changing harmful family norms around coerced sex for monetary gain, reintegration of adolescent mothers back to school and alter norms that reinforce gender inequalities.
Accordingly, Dr. Sogunro added that communities and peers of adolescent influence on their behaviors usually promote negative practices with regards to sex, sexuality and contraception and further escalate the social challenges faced by teenagers.
He frowned at Liberian Schools for failing to offer the appropriate sexuality education that will help young people make informed decisions regarding their sexuality.
Dr. Sogunro further stated, “This program will target communities including schools and faith based institutions to alter norms that normalize early sexual onset and pregnancies, change perception that per sexual engagement is normative and increase sexual reproduction health and attitudes about adolescent pregnancy and conception.”
Moreover, the UNFPA Representative said little has been done in creating an enabling policy environment for young people to access sexual reproductive health information but the translation of these policies into actual programs seem difficult due to limited resources.
For her part, Sweden Ambassador accredited near Monrovia, Lena Nordstrom has described the program as a medium that will contribute to the reduction in the high rate of teenage pregnancies in Liberia.
“Today, I am pleased to sign on behalf of Sweden an important cooperation agreement with the United Nations Population Fund for the implementation of the project ‘Empowered and Fulfilled’ covering four years 2016-2020”, Ambassador Nordstrom registered.
She attributed the high rate of teenage pregnancy in Liberia to the low possibilities for young people to exercise independent sexual health decision making and to access information about sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Swedish Ambassador wants youth-friendly reproductive and sexual health information and services to be provided to adolescent girls and boys, especially outside the urban areas, noting that it is on this basis, the program will be implemented in Maryland, Grand Kru, River Gee and Grand Gedeh counties.
Ambassador Nordstrom continues “discussing sexuality education for and with young girls and boys is still considered difficult and few information, education and communication outlets involve young people themselves.”
Meanwhile, Ambassador Nordstrom has called for the involvement of communities and community based organizations in the implementation of the project.