My name is Ziblim Abdulai, a volunteer on
the ICS RAINS (Regional Advisory and Network System). ICS RAINS project focus
on promoting the rights of marginalised societies and also works to promote the
lives of deprived communities and societies in northern Ghana. I was very happy
and excited when I was selected to be part of the project as a volunteer,
because I was not the only one who applied to become an ICS volunteer but, by
the grace of Allah, I was able to go through successfully. Through ICS, I have
been able to learn and improve on some unique skills through the team members
and the project. Some of these include, I have been able to gain more knowledge
on computer skills, build on my confidence level, learn how to work with others
as a team and last but not least is
that, I have also improved on how to speak in public which is quite a bonus to
my personal development.
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| Abdulai Leading the Community Sensitisation in Nanton-Kurugu Photo Credit: Harriet Braithwaite |
ICS RAINS is currently working with three
communities in Savelugu -Nanton municipality, which include, Zokuga, Langa and
Nanton-Kurugu. ICS RAINS introduced a
project called "SAFE CHOICES" and the reason of introducing this project is to educate these
three communities on their sexual and reproductive health and on kayayei. Topics that we educate them on
about their sexual health are as follows: the use of contraceptives, prevention
of teenage pregnancy, and to also prevent them from acquiring sexually
transmitted diseases. We also cover topics such as puberty, masturbation,
menstruation to mention a few. Kayayei is our
major target in these three communities, because the majority of the
young boys and girls migrate from their communities to the capital city of Ghana
to work for money. We take this opportunity to educate them on the dangers of
allowing their children who go to Accra
to practice kayayei.
ICS RAINS have being able to prepare a
sexual health manual which will be given to the the peer educators in the three
communities we work with. These will be
done by the staffs of RAINS due to the time factor. In all these three communities,
we have peer educators and the role of these peer educators are to educate
their community members on sexual health and kayayei on behalf of ICS. ICS will
not remain there forever but the peer educators will continue to live with the
communities always, and for that matter they can educate and raise awareness on
these social issues affecting their lives. This sexual health manual will be
given to the peer educators by the RAINS staff which will give them more
details and information on sexual health, so that they can also tend to educate
their communities on such topics relating to their sexual health.
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| Our Peer Educators Have a Key Role in the Safe Choices Project Photo Credit: Harriet Braithwaite |
We had three successful community
sensitizations in all the three communities and three radio sensitization
during our placement. During our various sensitizations in the communities, the
topic for discussion was based on kayayei. We found out that kayayei is a big
challenge in most of the rural communities in the Northern Region. Kayayei is when young girls and boys carry
heavy goods and wares for a fee due to the lack of jobs in these communities,
kayayei brings so many complications and challenges to those who practice it. Some
of these challenges include; teenage and unwanted pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infections, road traffic accidents, poor health and sanitation and
sexual abuse etc. Our cohort took this
opportunity to educate and create the awareness on these dangers which I think
will make them think otherwise, and consider the need for them to keep their
young boys and girls in school. So that they can be become useful and accepted
in their various communities in the near future and Ghana as a whole.
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| The Community Sensitisations Have Been So Enjoyable! Photo Credit: Harriet Braithwaite |
Now that our placement is coming to an
end, I am looking forward to my posting which will begin between January and
February. I completed college of nursing and midwifery Nalerugu. My posting
will be done within this period and I will be very happy to start working as a
professional nurse. I am also looking forward to seeing my parents and friends
and have fun with them because I have missed them for a very long time and I
cannot wait to see them.
Written by Ziblim Abdulai
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