Two Thousand and six hundred pupils from the 26 Junior Secondary Schools in the Okaikor Sub-metropolis of Accra, at the weekend pledged to abstain from sex until they marry. They made the pledge after an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign jointly organized by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and Hand-in-Hand Women’s Association (HHWA), a Non/Government Organisation.

Commitment

Following their vow, the children were each presented with an “abstinence pledge certificates” to serve as a reminder to them of their stand. Earlier, the pupils led by their teachers and amid brass band music, went on a two-hour float through the principal streets of the sub-metropolis. They carried placards some of which read. “Abstinence our priority”, Stop Aids and love life”, Lets fight AIDS together” and AIDS kills”. Along the route, the pupils distribute leaflets containing information on AIDS to pedestrians and houses along the road.

Education

The president of HHWA, Miss Emma Akyere Lawson, enlightened them on the causes, signs, effects and preventive measures of the HIV/AIDS scourge. She said that, the association had targeted the youth in society to expose them early to the dangers of the disease so as to deter them from per-marital sex, the main source of contracting the virus.

Miss Lawson called on all parents to provide adequate security for their wards. She gave the assurance that the Association’s efforts would be sustained to prevent many children from being infected with the disease.

Touching on the activities and achievements of the association, she said that for their one-and-half years of existence, it had secured loans ranging between ?500,000 and ?4 million for over 47 women to start their own businesses. She said that the primary aim of HHWA was to support the government to empower women and to support the needy in the society.

Miss Lawson pointed out that the nation’s development would be hasten if the people were empowered. She said that the 120 members of the association were currently caring for HIV/AIDS orphans, a number of street children as well as prostitutes.