A Non-Governmental Organization, NORSAAC, has organized a four-day in-house conference on Sexual Reproductive Health for about 300 teenagers from the three regions of the north.
The conference christened, “Overcoming socio-cultural and religious barriers to Young People’s Access to SRHR Information and Services” was held in Tamale.
As funded by the UNFPA, Rains, ActionAid Ghana and Youth Empowerment, the conference was initiated in 2017, and 250 teenagers participated in the first edition.
The Executive Director of NORSAAC, Alhassan Mohammed Awal on the sidelines of the opening ceremony said the conference sought to create opportunities for the participants to form synergies and proffer solutions to challenges associated with adolescence.
He said, “Participants are expected to discuss their sexual and reproductive life and how they develop strategies whiles working with their peers for the next four days.”
“So you would observe that various speakers were proposing some kind of options young people can grab to enhance their living conditions, be able to speak out, to be able to resist abuses and all forms of violations and be able to take the right decisions using the right structures in our system.”
Mohammed Awal urged the participants to keenly participate and replicate the learning outcomes in their localities.
The Guest of Honour, Vo Naa Mohammed Baba Bawa commended NORSAAC for its immeasurable contribution to youth empowerment.
“You deserve commendation for creating such a platform for the youth to discuss matters pertaining to their development. The situation of the young persons in Northern Ghana is worse compared to their counterparts in the southern part of the country.”
In his observation he said, “There are numerous socio-cultural and religious barriers that impede their access to information and services, especially on their reproductive health matters. Therefore the theme for 2018 is most appropriate.”
“Most developing countries could offer many of the world’s poorest countries a ‘demographic dividend’ when they attain working age. With the right investments and policies aimed at the youth across sub-Saharan Africa, that dividend could lift the development and prosperity of sub-Saharan African countries.”
–
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com
