Stakeholders trained on project management
A three-day stakeholders’ training, on project management, organized by Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), has ended at Kotokrom, near Sunyani, in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
The project, jointly sponsored by Big Lottery Fund and Planned
Parenthood Federation, was aimed at evaluating a PPAG project; Addressing the reproductive health needs and rights of marginalized youth, since it was started in 2005, in Sunyani and Techiman.
Thirty-six participants, made up of representatives of DOVVSU, Social Welfare, Ghana National Fire Service, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Assembly Members and the Media, in Techiman and Sunyani, attended the workshop.
Topics discussed included, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Community Mobilization, Project Cycle, Monitoring and Evaluation, Proposal Development, Project Management and The Role of Stakeholders.
Addressing the participants, Mr Boakye Yiadom, Programmes Director of PPAG, said the project on reproductive health needs and rights of the marginalized youth, said the construction of clinics in Techiman and Sunyani proves the success of the project.
He advised non-governmental organisations in the area to focus on the problems in the communities and address them.
Nana Owusu Banahene, project Co-ordinator of PPAG, in Tain District, noted that the implementation of the project also revealed that, the lack of education for the girl-child contributed to the reproductive health problems as well as health services in the district.
He also identified socio-cultural practices, such as widowhood rites, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and financial constraints, as some of the areas militating against reproductive health-care.
In order to address these setbacks in the district, Nana Banahene said the project adopted information, education and communication methodologies in the two project areas.
Mr Thomas Cudjoe, Sunyani Municipal focal person on HIV/AIDS, who is also a nutrition officer, said statistics indicates that HIV cases continue to drop in the Municipality, since 2004.
He charged officials of Social Welfare and Community Development, NCCE and other community-based organisations, to use their community-mobilization skills to help fight HIV/AIDS in the Sunyani Municipality.
Mr Simon Adu Okyere, Brong-Ahafo Regional Project Co-ordinator of PPAG, said 60 community leaders were trained in advocacy whilst another 200 of such leaders were sensitized on the issue of HIV/AIDS.
He said the project also captured 832 people in its counselling and testing services, and that, 36 people out of the number, tested positive and were referred to the regional hospital in Sunyani and the Holy Family hospital in Techiman.
Nana Baah Mensah, Atipimhene and the Techiman Municipal Director of NCCE, lauded the achievements of PPAG’s projects in Sunyani and encouraged the Association to carry on with its good works in other communities of the region.
Source: GNA