By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A community-based organization, the Sisters of the Century, has appealed to the UN Women and other international donor partners for assistance in educating young people about the danger of teenage marriage and the importance of girl education in the R-Two Community along the Monrovia-Robertsfield highway.
The President of the organization, Marthaline Cole said there is a need for international partners to assist the group curb the high rate of teen age pregnancy in the area.
Mrs. Cole made the appeal in an interview at the end of a one-day lecture forum organized for young girls by the Sisters of the Century in the R Two Community along the Monrovia-Robertsfield highway last week.
According to her, the lectures centered on three topics including the importance of girl child education, the negative effect on effect child marriage and the over wellbeing of women health.
Mrs. Cole explained that they are currently using their resources and time to educate the young girls in the community because they are the future leaders
The Sisters of the Century President indicated that the discussion is also intended to lecture them about what they know and others that they do not know about habits that have the propensity to retard the development and affect their health.
She urged them to take advantage of the lectures presented by the various facilitators because failure on their parts to adhere to the lessons will likely affect them in the future.
Delivering a paper on the negative effect of teenage marriage, Madam Brownetta Luke, who is the newest resident in the R-Two Community and a mother of seven children, said there exists advantages and disadvantages of early marriage.
Teenage marriage kills young girls’ dream
According to her, teenage marriage in some cases kill the dreams of young girls, exposes them to dependency syndrome and retard the development of young girls.
For her part, Venus Nobeh, who lectured on “The Importance of Girls Child Education,” disclosed that women who are educated will most likely ensure that all of her children are educated.
She indicated that educated women play a role when it comes to decision making in the home, the community and sometimes at the national level
As for Tina Nyeman , who discussed the general health protocols of women, admonished young girls to abstain from sex until they are matured.
According to her, some young girls have developed fistula by engaging in early sexual activities thus inflicting serious injuries on the private parts.
Historically, the Sisters of the Century was established by women residing the R-Two Community along the Monrovia –Roberts field high purposely to address the high rate of teen age pregnancy, young girls’ school dropout rate in the community.
The Secretary General of the organization, Edwina Yarlue, since the establishment of the group over few months ago, it has been using its resources by taxing its members purposely to undertake programs aimed at educating young girls about ills in the society.