Assembly celebrates ‘Queenmothers’ Day’
According to the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) of the Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, teenage or adolescence literally means to “grow up;” a term given to one phase or stage in the growth and development of human beings.
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Teenage pregnancy refers to getting pregnant at the adolescent or teenage period. Early adolescence is the age from 10 to 13, mid adolescence is from 14 to 16 and late adolescence is 17 to 19.
Pre-adolescence refers to people between the age of five and nine. It is at this period that the physiological changes begin. Young adulthood refers to people aged 20 to 24. At this stage, the adolescent has developed into adulthood.
Formative period
Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood. This stage is termed ‘formative period’ where physical, physiological and behavioural changes take place in young people. It is a period of exploration, experimentation and widening horizon and this is a time to ensure healthy all-round development for the adolescents.
Teenage is characterised by many factors that can be prevented.
As a positive step in the fight against the challenges which confront adolescents, including teenage pregnancy, the Bosomtwe District Assembly instituted an event dubbed “Queenmothers’ Day” about two decades ago, to bring queenmothers together to share ideas on their roles in society and how to improve on the lives of people in their areas.
As part of activities marking this year’s celebration, a durbar of queenmothers from the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region at Kuntanase, the district capital, was held during which the participants used the occasion to share their opinions about best practices in their areas leading to success for others to emulate.
Leading crusade
In her address, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bosomtwe, Madam Veronica Antwi-Adjei, challenged queenmothers to lead the crusade against teenage pregnancy in the country.
She explained that as leaders with much respect and influence on their people, leading the crusade would go a long way to save many girls from irresponsible behaviours that would make them suffer pregnancy from irresponsible men who only left them to their fate, after impregnating them, thereby leading to the shattering of their education and future dreams.
The DCE appealed to the queenmothers to help educate the youth, especially the girls, to avoid indecent dressing, by bringing them together and educating them on behaviours which would make people look down upon them or see them as bad people.
Madam Antwi-Adjei urged the queenmothers to ensure that they gave fair judgement on cases brought before them, saying that would make them earn respect and trust from the people.
The Bosomtwe District Coordinator of the Youth Employment Authority, Mr Alhassan Ayuba, appealed to the queenmothers to establish a good relationship with their chiefs to bring peace in their communities.
Commendation
He commended the queenmothers for their motherly roles and urged them to continue to ensure peace and development in their operational areas.
The Queenmother of Jachie, Nana Afia Konadu Pankye, who is also the Secretary of the Bosomtwe Queenmothers, called for measures to, revamp the group so they could help in the development of their communities.
She appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency, consider reconstructing the Aputuogya-Kokofu road which was in a very deplorable state.
That, she said, had led to many foodstuffs and cash crops in the area going bad, making farmers lose so much income from their farms.