Teenage mothers need more training centres - EPC Moderator

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPC) is to intensify efforts at establishing more activity centres to train teenage mothers and street girls for a better living standard.

To this end the church would explore avenues to establish an endowment fund to support such centres.

The Right Reverend Francis Amenu, Moderator elect of the General Assembly of the church, gave the hint at the 10th anniversary celebration and passing out of 20 trainees from the centre.

The centre initiated by Mrs Bridget Hoffman, a German in June 1998 has since then trained 194 teenage mothers and street girls in various skills.

Rt. Rev. Amenu said it was important to help women in ways that will lift them up form the dependency syndrome, which makes them the target of domestic violence and marginalization.

In her keynote address, Miss Lena Alai, Volta Regional Coordinator of the Commission on Women commended the EPC for "helping the young girls who fell, to rise again.

She advised them to be wary of the temptations to which they fell.

"Act responsibly now, don't let problems make you go wayward again," Miss Alai stated.

Mama Atrato II, Queen Mother of Ho-Dome impressed on the trainees to begin practicing their skills on a modest scale and be inspired by the examples of successful women around them.

She said young men in recent times were more interested in young women who are industrious to be their wives.

Mama Atrato exhorted the girls to combine hard work with moral uprightness to brighten their chances in settling in for successful marriages.

Miss Alice Ayebi, programme officer of the Centre said the Centre was constrained by the lack of hostel facilities to admit many more girls.

She said some of the trainees have been able to gain admission into polytechnics and senior high schools.

Miss Ayebi said the centre was working towards preparing its students to write the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) examinations.

Meanwhile Mrs Hoffman presented a cheque for 1,000 euros in support of the centre's renovation and hinted that she and other sponsors have plans of setting up a foundation to support the centre.