By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, March 8, GNA – Savana Signatures has presented various equipment and start-up capital to 13 teenage mothers as part of efforts to support them with livelihood empowerment skills to enable them to lead meaningful lives.
Ten of the teenage mothers, based on their expressed interest, were trained in catering, bread baking, smock weaving, hairdressing and sewing, and were presented with various equipment and start-up capital to enable them to start their business ventures.
The remaining three, who opted to continue their education, have had their initial school fees paid as well as presented with back-to-school kits to promote sound academic exercise.
The beneficiaries, who come from Districts in the Northern, North East, Upper West, and Volta regions, were identified by Savana Signatures through a study it conducted as part of its Technology for Maternal and Child Health (T4MCH) project being implemented in those regions.
The study categorized the beneficiaries as insecure because they did not have the requisite knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights making them easy targets of sexual and gender-based violence and unplanned pregnancies.
Many of them were also in unstable relationships with no form of assistance from their families, and they were concerned about how they would take care of themselves and their babies.
Mr John Stephen Agbenyo, Executive Director of Savana Signatures, who spoke during the presentation of the equipment and start-up capital to beneficiaries in Tamale, said economic empowerment and health were bed fellows hence the support to the teenage mothers to help improve their livelihoods and empower them to take good care of themselves and their babies.
Mr Agbenyo said Savana Signatures under the T4MCH project would continue to monitor and provide advisory services and guidance to beneficiaries as they worked to better their lives and those of their babies.
Madam Linda Amoah, Northern Regional Girls Education Officer, described the support given the beneficiaries as transformational as it would help to change their lives for the better advising them to work hard and remain focused to ensure success.
She commended Savana Signatures for tackling the needs of the teenage mothers in the right way by identifying their expressed needs and supporting them.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Savana Signatures for the support and pledged to make good use of the opportunity offered them.
GNA
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