As part of efforts to motivate young girls to believe in their God-given talent and translate it into socio-economic development, International Child Development Programme (ICDP), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has selected and empowered 359 young girls from 13 communities in the Akuapem South Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The beneficiary young girls would undergo three (3) to six (6) months of training through a Strategy Approaches to Girls’ Education (STAGE), Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) and Vocational Skills Training (VST) programmes.

Some of the short term training modules would include fixing of wig, braiding and facial treatment.

The programme which was launched under strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol on the theme, “Leave No Girl Behind,” was graced by traditional leaders, political and community members at Pokrom, a farming community near Aburi in the Akuapem South municipality.

The exercise is done through the effective collaboration with other institutions including the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Social Welfare Department and Child Protection Committees who embarked on a community sensitization drive.

Explaining the aims and objectives of the NGO, Country Director of ICDP, Joyce Larnyoh said her outfit’s vision is to address issues concerning the girl child including education, gender equality and health issues through the assurance that their constituents are elevated from the appalling situation to a better position where they can meet their potential.

Mrs. Larnyoh continued that, the programme aimed at training girls’ literacy, numeracy, life skills and vocational skills, eradicate barriers that flood girls’ empowerment as well as empower girls’ capacities, skills and competences that will enable them to live a meaningful life to reduce poverty.

She said her organization considered the Akuapim-South Municipality this time around following its success story on a similar project at Akuapem North.

The Country Director explained that this motivated International Child Development Programme to replicate the project in the aforementioned Municipality to improve the socio-economic outlook of young girls who otherwise would have been school dropouts and lack basic knowledge about life among others.

According to her, they noticed a lot of issues concerning marginalized girls bordering on teenage pregnancy and poverty among others in Akuapem South which encouraged them to extend their benevolence there with the assurance of achieving their goals.

On his part, Coordinator for ICDP, Kweku Bekoe noted that the aforesaid policy was established to enhance the development of children as they reaching their potential is the basic vision they hope for.

He maintained that the NGO which started its work from Akuapem North has now settled at Akuapem South, working with thirteen communities and engaged in a lot of interventions in areas such as health, sanitation, education, livelihood empowerment and many more.

"It is our aim to reduce the barriers that the marginalized girls face because some of them do not even have access to education and many of them drop out from school for different reasons such as domestic abuse, teenage pregnancy among others which we don’t want to leave them behind," he said.

Mr. Bekoe further stated that they are topping up their policy by training the children on the manufacturing of sanitary pads, liquid soap, etc. to support their living and that of the community.