Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) on Tuesday trained 14 young girls to become facilitators of reproductive health education among their peers in their communities.

The girls aged 14 to 19, who are also leaders of youth clubs, were drawn from Bubuiashie, Kaneshie and Naamonaa in the Greater Accra Region.

They are expected to engage more girls after the training and teach them best ways to uphold their values, protect themselves from abuse and know their reproductive health rights.

Madam Edna Yebuah, Programs Coordinator for PAYDP, Greater Accra, said the facilitators will expose their peers to the dangers of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and also teach them how to improve their communication skills and become useful citizens.

“We are training them on anything related to adolescent health, they will relay it to others to ensure that many young girls are well informed and empowered to stand up for themselves,” she said.

The training, Madam Yebuah said, was part of the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) joint adolescent girls program which seeks to empower girls between the ages of 10 to 19.

She said PAYDP will hold the same training for adolescent girls in Prampram, Ningo and Ayetepa before the end of this week.

Ms Antoinette Da-Rocha, Project Officer for Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana, said the girls were trained on various topics including values, self-esteem, communication, abstinence from sex, gender based violence and the reproductive system.

She expressed the hope that the girls will be bold after the training adding that there will be a reporting and monitoring system to track the progress of the girls.

Ms Da-Rocha said PAYDP will also pay them regular field visits to ensure that they are giving out the right information and education to their peers.