SAVE the Children, an NGO, says it is targeting 100,000 married and unmarried adolescents in three states of the federation for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services under a new project.

The new project tagged: “Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make informed Choices for their Health (REACH)’’, will be implemented in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, funded by the Canadian Government.

Dr Modupe Taiwo, the Project Director of REACH, made the disclosure during the official launch of the project on Monday in Katsina.

According to her, about 12.3 million Canadian Dollars (CAD) will be spent on the project.

She said that the project will be implemented in Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara States between April 2018 and March 2021.

“The project had selected 300 communities from Balanga, Dukku, Rimi, Sandamu, Talata-Mafara and Kaura-Namoda local government areas for the implementation of the programme in the benefiting states.

“The project targets adolescents in rural and hard- to- reach communities.

“These are where discriminatory social and gender norms significantly affect the ability of adolescents girls and boys to make decisions and access services to protect and improve their sexual and reproductive health and rights,’’ she said.

Taiwo said that both married and unmarried adolescent girls would be empowered to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health in some selected health facilities.

Also speaking, Mrs Hope Oduma of the Save the Children , said the organisation would also encourage girls to further their education and make choices for themselves under another project, ‘“Better Life for Girls’.

“One of the strongest tools to tackle child marriage is to increase the enrolment of girls for primary education, ensure retention and transition to secondary school,’’ she said.

In her remarks, the wife of Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Hajiya Hadiza Masari commended the organisation for initiating the project and selecting Katsina among the pilot states.

She assured that her office would continue to work with similar organisations to improve the living conditions of the vulnerable in the society

-NAN

BE

– Nov. 5, 2018 @ 17:55 GMT |