ABEOKUTA– A Non-governmental Organisation, Ray Of Hope Community Foundation has appealed to parents to educate their wards about puberty and it’s attendant consequences, thereby allowing them take rightful decisions.
The Founder, Mrs Taiwo Adefunke Adebanjo made this appeal Friday at the inter school competition organised by the foundation held at the Women Development Center in Abeokuta.
The event with the theme, “My Body, My Responsibility and Pride”, had students from Methodist High school Ewekoro, St Peter’s college, Abeokuta, Ifo high school, Ifo, Premier grammar school, Abeokuta North local government, Africa church grammar school, Abeokuta,
Other participating schools includes, Anglican grammar school, Ifo, Pakoto high school, Ifo, Otori comprehensive high school, Ewekoro and Papalanto high school, Ewekoro.
Speaking with newsmen at the sideline of the event, the Founder, Mrs Adebanjo stated that adolecent children are tends to b exposed to many things, adding that parents should close the information gap thereby making them know about sex and all they should know as growing up ladies.
“We are reaching out to them to know about their body, menstruation, puberty level of life, and to prevent them having unwanted pregnancy and secure them from having unsafe abortion. As this adolescent stage is a discovery stage, as many of them didn’t have adequate knowledge on this stage.”
“We are also working on orphans and vulnerable children as well, we have about 3,000 orphan childrens, that we are supporting one way or the other.
“The support is always base on their needs, it may be on education or other things and we attached some of them family and a shelter, and we give them some psycho-social support till they get over their problems. So, as to prevent them not become nuisance in the community”, she added
The Vice Chairman, Transition Committee, Ifo Local Government Area, Alhaji Nurudeen Matanmi expressed his delight, noting that the foundation has been impactful in the training of the young adults.
He reckoned that with the training and several events, the reasoning faculties of many would change for good.
“We have invited partisan to the program as we have seen that the information passed then sinked into their head and some of them have been able to trained younger ones. And to emulate good work of others not to go and get unwanted pregnancy, and they should not proceed on having abortion”, he stressed
The Vice Chairman however charged other NGOs to emulate the good work of The Rays of Hope Community Foundation in educating children to become a good leader of the nation.
A school counselor from Methodist High School, Arigbajo Ifo, Mrs. Fowosere commends the foundation’s programs, saying that it will help many of the students to know more about themselves in preventing molestation, and rape cases as well.
“We have increased number of students registering for the program, as many of them are able to know much about themselves and keep themselves safe from all sorts of molsestion, rape as well”, she stated.
