Upper East representative at TV3 Ghana’s Most Beautiful IX, Patience Azure, has expressed worry at the prevalence of early marriage in the region.
Patience Azure who was presenting 10,000 books and pens to selected basic schools from the thirteen districts of the region said it is sad that the Upper East tops the chart in early marriage.
“I feel so sad about it, because at age 10, 12, 13…I think a girl at that age is not matured to get married. Not even psychologically, physically, emotionally, not even logically is the person is fit to get into marriage. I believe marriage is like a university with its rules and laws that govern it so when you are getting married you should be well matured so I feel bad that at age 12 a child gets married and gives birth. How can a child take care of a child? So I don’t believe that a child should be a mother to another child, it is very bad” she lamented.
Azure who is currently collaborating with Afrikids Ghana on a project on child marriage noted that girls at ages below 18 are being forced into marriage against their will and it is predominant in the Talensi and Nabdam areas adding that the dominant reason given for giving young girls out for marriage is povery.
“I have been to Talensi and Nabdam districts personally, I have spoken with them. When I tried finding out from them what the reason was, it was due to poverty but no I don’t believe it is poverty. Because the more you restrict the girl child from going to school, the more you increase the rate of poverty in our region because when you educate the man and leave the woman, the woman will definitely depend on the man. So I believe that poverty is not the reason.”
Azure was hopeful to use the exposure gained from joining GMB to the benefit of her region but made a passionate appeal to traditional leaders, department heads, and opinionleaders including concerned institutions to help her fight the menace
Assistant marketing manager at Samara Company limited, producers of sasso insecticide and coil and main sponsor of the Ghana’s Most Beautiful pageant, Daniel Owusu Prempeh, said the books and pens were part of the sponsorship package. According to him, all the ten ladies were promised the package and so far eight regions including the Upper East have received theirs.
“It is our desire to see every child going to school and has his/her educational materials to stay in school. This is why we have embarked on this project since December 2014 to support school children all over the country. I wish to encourage the beneficiaries of these books to study hard so that they can also achieve greater heights in life” he added.
By: Adugbire Cletus | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
