As I Grow is a nonprofit Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) in Larteh in the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly of the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The organisation aims at providing lifeline measures to support the general population in the rural and very deprived communities in Ghana.
Recently, the organisation has been engaging in various life transforming projects to equip the people in those deprived areas through education,skills training,economic empowerment strategies on savings,free health care,providing safe water,donations and advocacy work on the menace of teenage pregnancy.
As part of the means of providing support for these people, the organisation has come out with the major causes of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts in the deprived communities.
Mr Debrah Bekoe Isaac, the chief Executive officer of As I Grow Ngo, explained to the media why Ghana keeps recording huge numbers every year. He said from 2016 to 2020, Ghana recorded more than half a million of teenage pregnancy according to the report from the Health sector and Eastern Region alone where his organisation is based recorded over 56,000.
Mr. Debrah Bekoe Isaac, lamented that most of the parents especially women (single) parents in these agrarian communities do not have any meaningful jobs, thus young adolescent girls have to fend for themselves by engaging in premarital sex.
The men who engage in these unqualified acts with these young girls too are just peasants, Okada riders and unemployed,who finally run away from their roles after impreginating them.
He said most of these victims are between the ages of 12 and 15 years,who are either in the Primary school or Junior high school.
The chief Executive officer for As I Grow Ngo, said the current economic hardship in the country is really making life difficult for the less privileged in the deprived communities in Ghana. He said the lack of market support,economic empowerment avenues and vocational training is really increasing the menace of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts.
Children have now resorted to staying at home since parents cannot provide for them.
Mr. Debrah Bekoe Isaac lamented on how these plights are really having negative impacts on our children and youth in the deprived communities.
The CEO indicated that, his organisation is providing both kind and vocational training skills to empower women and the general population in those areas to help improve their economic lives to curb poverty and also create awareness on the effects of teenage pregnancy and school dropouts and decrease the menace.
He used the opportunity to call on other organisations,individuals, government and institutions to trickle down their support to the deprived communities.
Source//Obohnews.
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