UNESCO partners Ebonyi Govt, rescues 38 victims of early pregnancy victims

From Lateef Taiwo

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO in partnership with Ebonyi state government has said that they have rescued thirty eight out-of-school teenagers who became pregnant during their junior secondary school with plan to return them back to school on September.

The state Master Trainer, Mrs Elizabeth Okereke made the disclosure during the Women August meeting, at Izzamgbo, Ohaukwu Council Headquarters.

According to the state Master Trainer, Mrs Okereke stated that the thirty eight out-of-school teenagers were received in the three local government areas of Abakaliki, Ikwo and Ohaukwu Council area.

She advised parents to maintain good communication with their female children especially at the early age, describing poor communication as the greatest challenge faced by teenagers in school who in turn faced bullying and early pregnancy.

She equally admonished teachers to shun bullying and called on proprietors and school management to continue sensitizing pupils and students against bullying in schools.

“We are talking about parents child relationship which is our second project in Ebonyi state.

“From our previous project, we discovered that most of the challenges faced by teenagers who got pregnant during their early secondary school years is because of poor communication with their parents who through the wife of the Ebonyi state governor the programme is introduced in the August meeting.

“We are calling on parents to report any teenagers who got pregnant at the early age without writing their junior West Africa Examination to bring to us those teenagers as UNESCO in partnership with Ebonyi state government is returning them back to school, we are integrating them to go back to school and we do that by identifying them and secure their contacts to ensure that they start school this September.

“So, the implication of them not going back to school is that they’ll grow and become poor and the society will be poor at large, as the last count, we did this at Afikpo local government and we saw the good results and we are assuring parents in Ebonyi state to release their children to school as our schools are safe for learning.” Okereke added.