Ogun Govt Partners SFH For Empowerment Of 10,000 Adolescent Girls In Skills Acquisition

Ogun State  Government in collaboration with Society for Family Health (SFH) has trained 10,000 adolescent girls in various vocational skills ranging from Bead making, Hairdressing and Beauty care, Catering and Tailoring, among others, under the Project tagged, A360 9ja Girls.

The skills acquisition programme is targeted at improving  the self-dependency and reproductive health of girl child in the state 

Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola during the close-up of the Project in Abeokuta, described the initiative as a worthwhile step, that would give the beneficiaries a sense of belonging and make them self-reliant in their chosen skills.

Ogunsola stated  that acquisition of vocational skills was strongly linked to the socio-economic and general wellbeing of the beneficiaries, saying it would be essential for adolescent and young girls to make the right reproductive health decisions and contraceptive adoption.

         

He lauded the effort of the State Government for providing a conducive environment for the Project to thrive, while commending SFH for its commitment, and for believing in Ogun by placing the state as flagship  for the Project, which has been running for the past five years, saying the Board had drawn a work plan for its sustenance.

Also speaking, the Project Director of A360 Girls, Mrs. Roselyn Odeh said that the goal of the Project was to break barriers to access and voluntary use of Modern contraceptives by adolescent girls 15 – 19 years by increasing Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (MCPR) and improving the sexual reproductive health of adolescents.

Similarly, the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Hamzat Ibrahim stated that the Project had improved the financial management and vocational skills of the beneficiaries.

Giving their goodwill messages, the World Health Organisation and other Non- Governmental Organisations present, said the Project had helped in reducing abortion rate and underage pregnancy in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries of the A360 9ja Girls Project, Inioluwa Sobukola appreciated the Ogun State Government and Society for Family Health for the opportunity, saying the skill acquisition programme would make life better for them  and build their self-esteem, promising to intensify the efforts by improving on the skills learnt.