Officials of World Vision International (WVI) at Jema in Kintampo South District of Brong Ahafo, have rescued a 16 year-old primary six girl from marrying a 28 year-old farmer.

The officials acted upon a tip off that the pupil had been absent from her school at the Jema-Nkwanta Local Authority School because she had been offered to marry to Mr. Karim Musah, a farmer, at Meminaso No. Two, near Ejura, in the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Frank Kugbeadjor, Kintampo South Director of Social Welfare Department (SWD) who disclosed this to the GNA at Jema on Friday, said the pupil’s parents had asked her to go and live with her aunt, Madam Memuna Bande, not knowing it was a plot to get her to marry Musah, a son of the aunt.

He said World Vision had been sponsoring some children in the area and its officials got wind of the case when the pupil managed to escape from the marriage and returned to Jema.

Mr. Kugbeadjor said, Madam Memuna’s relatives at Jema attempted to take the girl back to Ejura but officials of the Social Welfare and World Vision reported the matter to the police.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare has cautioned parents against the practice of offering under-age girls into marriage.**