![\"img_20170328_1521091\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_20170328_1521091-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAn NGO, the Meta Foundation, has initiated an advocacy project in two districts of the Upper East Region to end child marriage.<\/p>\n
The one year project dubbed ‘Sustaining Human Progress, Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience’, is aimed at educating community members especially parents in\u00a0child marriage endemic areas of the negative effects of the practice and the urgent need to end it.<\/p>\n
The project will take place in 39 communities in Builsa North Districts, and 41 communities in Nabdam Districts respectively.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speaking at durbar in Siniensi in the Builsa North District, Project Manager, David Amozebga, bemoaned \u00a0child marriages and low girl child enrollment into schools, adding that, for the girl child to explore her full potentials in life, efforts must to made to end child marriage.<\/p>\n
“Our baseline survey in the affected communities reveals the\u00a0rampant incidence of child marriages, low girl child enrollment to schools and low birth registration for children between zero and one.”<\/p>\n
“So we are intensifying advocacy by facilitating interaction among community members especially parents on the need to end child marriage, and that, poverty is no excuse to marry out girls under 18 years. We are using the communication for development model which involves community members, health workers, births and deaths registry and the media to fight against the menace.”<\/p>\n
Chief of Seniensi, Nab Apig-Jiak Akulang, expressed worry at the alarming rate of child marriages in the area, adding that, a committee will be formed very soon to fight the practice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Communication for development officer, UNICEF, Mrs. Georgina Awudi, said ending child marriage was a key concern because\u00a0victims of the practice are being deprived of their childhood and best choices for their future.<\/p>\n
“Marrying out girls before age 18 \u00a0deprive them of a lot of benefits including their rights to childhood, education and making choices on their own. Even though some parents argue for child marriages because of poverty, the dire complications of the practice among others results in deformity and sometimes deaths during childbirth\u00a0which must be discouraged.”<\/p>\n
“…So let’s take care of the girl child till they are able to take care of themselves, and decide to marry, because having a child marriage free community in Ghana is an international indicator of whether or not we are developed or developing”<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Frederick Awuni\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An NGO, the Meta Foundation, has initiated an advocacy project in two districts of the Upper East Region to end child marriage. The one year project dubbed ‘Sustaining Human Progress, Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience’, is aimed at educating community members especially parents in\u00a0child marriage endemic areas of the negative effects of the practice and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[834,3],"yoast_head":"\n