TRANING PROGRAMME ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH HELD AT BECHEM

A training programme for Ten ( 10 ) resource persons on reproductive health education has been held by the Tano South Distract Directorate of the Department of Social Welfare at Bechem.

  

                    The ten (10) resource persons at the programme

The  programme which was aimed at training the resource person to provide information, education  and communication messages on adolescent reproductive health to the people was opened by the Tano South District Director of the Department of Social  Welfare Mr. Samuel Kyeremeh.

Opening the programme, Mr. Samuel Kyeremeh said, the reproductive health education programme has been inculcated  into the departments programmes by Future Group a Non Governmental Organization based in the UK with a branch in Ghana and offers public education to children on the causes, effects and preventive measures on drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.

                                           

                          Mr. Samuel Kyeremeh opening the programme

Mr. Kyeremeh therefore urged participants to inform, educate and communicate the causes, effects and solutions on drug abuse and teenage pregnancy to the public especially teenagers so as to help reduce the incidence of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy in the Tano South District and  the country as a whole.

A facilitator of the programme, Mrs. Irene Obeng-Asare in her presentation took participants through topics like teenage pregnancy, drug  abuse, the causes and effects and their preventive measures.

Speaking on teenage pregnancy, Mrs. Obeng-Asare described it as a phenomena in which a teenage girls get pregnant which is said to be unplanned and for that reasons becomes unwanted as most them are unemployed and dependent on their parents.

                                       

                     Mrs. Irene Obeng-Asare addressing the participants

Mentioning some of the causes of teenage pregnancies, Mrs. Obeng – Asare said urbanization and divorce are some of the factors and said most of these teenagers in recent years flock urban centers in search of jobs and also to seek greener pastures and in doing so find themselves in various environments which enables most of them to indulge themselves in various acts including unprotected sex which brings about these teenage pregnancies.

Touching on Divorce Mrs. Obeng- Asare said it brings about separation which also divides the family since these adolescents find themselves entangled as to who is caring for them or which of the two parents they are to stay with and leads them into bad company as they use all manner of excuses to visit either of the parents which is never the case and finds them in the company of  friends who happens to be  boys or men and through that find them indulging in sex which brings about teenage pregnancy.

Touching on the effects of teenage pregnancy Mrs. Obeng-Asare said it leads to illegal abortion and stressed that this takes place when the parties decides to terminate the unwanted pregnancy in an orthodox way which at times leads to the lost of life or causes a destruction in the womb leading to one becoming barren and also causing a defect in the womb.

Mrs. Obeng-Asare said, in finding controlling measures to these effects, parents should guide, counsl and supervise closely the activities of their teenage girl child and advice opinion leaders to pay regular visits to schools in their various areas to offer advice to the school children and stressed that agencies and families must help address the issue on the use of contraceptives to enable them have safe sex if they cannot abstain from sex.

Mrs. Obeng-Asare concluded her facilitation on Drug Abuse, its causes, effect and control measures and adviced the youth to say no to drugs.

FIRST LADY PAYS WORKING VISIT TO TANO SOUTH DISTRICT

The First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama Dramani has paid a one day working visit to the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana to interact with the people and donate items to graduate apprentices.

At a durbar held in her honour at Bechem the Tano South District capital saw dignitaries like, Hon. Collins Dauda, Hon. Eric Opoku, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and his deputy Hon. Justice Emmanuel Adjei, Ghana’s Ambassador to Algeria His Excellency Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Hon. Hannah Louisa Bisiw, Heads of departments, Nananoom, the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba, NDC party supporters and people from all walks of life in attendance.

In an opening address, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for the Tano South Constituency Hon. Hannah Louisa Bisiw welcomed all present and said the programme which to her would be a memorable one to the people of the district, because the First Lady  had come to the district to donate items and also launch the COTVET programme which would equip people with skills and money to establish their own business to reduce the unemployment problem facing the district and the country as a whole.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku in a speech informed the people that the First Lady had visited the district to interact with artisans to find out problems confronting them and also to present start up equipments to graduate apprentices and that plans are at foot by Hers Excellency to also assist needy but brilliant pupils and the vulnerable. Hon. Eric Opoku mentioned some the achievements of the First Lady as the donation of equipments to the Volta Regional Hospital and a sensitization programme designed for females on the breast cancer disease.

 Hon. Eric Opoku assured Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II and Nananoom that the Bechem town roads would be tarred as soon as possible and said when the project is completed he would invite the President His Excellency John Mahama Dramani to commission it.

In her address, the First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama Dramani thanked all the people who had traveled from far and wide to attend the function and said the programme is designed to help artisans to acquire equipments to render quality service to the people. She mentioned that her foundation popularly known as Lordina Foundation was established to provide services to the vulnerable and also to inspire artisans to develop their potentials. She said whilst the world is changing and industries are growing, it is imperative that artisans must also develop their skills in order for them to suit the environment in which they find themselves.

Her Excellency Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama stressed that artisans play a significant role in terms of the economic development of the country and hinted that a special training programme has been designed for the hairdressers and beauticians by the government to acquire the necessary skills which would enable them establish their own businesses and called on all and sundry to support the programme.

The First Lady later presented items including sewing machines, dryers, rollers, foot massaging machines, carpentry tool, welding machines, over lock machines and many more to the artisan groups.

The chairman for the occasion Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II Iin his closing remark thanked all present for making the programme a memorable one and thanked the First Lady for her good work to the people of Ghana and also thanked the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and theTano South District Chief Executive for their good works to the Tano South District and appealed for the early tarring of the Bechem  town roads as mentioned by Hon. Eric Opoku.

Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II concluded his remarks by appealing to the government to do more for the people of the Tano South District in the areas of health, education and agriculture.