The Miss Ghana Foundation, in collaboration with UNAIDs Ghana’s ‘Protect The Goal Project’, has commenced its annual youth mentorship programme on feminine hygiene, Ebola awareness and wellness at selected senior high schools across the country.
Some of the schools which were engaged in the programme were St Peter’s Anglican Senior High School, Nungua, Preset Pacesetters Senior High School, Accra, Osu Salem High School, Accra and Don Bosco Technical Institute, Tema, amongst other senior high schools in the region.
The team, led by the Chairperson of the Miss Ghana Foundation and the CEO of EEGL, Inna M. Patty, stated the need to empower the youth with knowledge to help them make informed and significant decisions about their health and well-being.
This, she believes, is a significant tool in liberating Ghana from poverty, ignorance and disease, thereby, increasing development and productivity in Ghana.
Afua Asieduaa Akrofi, Miss Ghana ambassador, also emphasized on the need for the youth to pledge to ‘Protect The Goal’ – a project geared at the need for the youth to abstain from sex or if sexually active, to practise safe sex.
For the senior high schools visited, Ms Akrofi encouraged them to abstain and focus on their studies. She also encouraged them to know their HIV status by getting tested, maintain one sexual partner and practise safe sex by always using a condom.
A pharmacist from Tobinco Pharmaceuticals talked about ‘La Wash Intimate Hygiene’ and the necessity of using feminine products to keep intimate areas clean, especially as women. As part of the feminine hygiene campaign, free ‘La Wash Intimate Hygiene’ products were distributed to the female students
The students were also educated on Ebola, so that they can better protect themselves and, thereby, mitigate easy transmission.
At the end of the event, thousands of students pledged to ‘Protect The Goal’ by signing the ‘pledge book’.
The Miss Ghana Foundation youth mentorship programme is supported by the French Embassy Ghana, UNAIDs Ghana, Ecobank Development Corporation, Special Ice Mineral Water and Hottees Ghana.