The Queen Mother of Feo in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, Pognaba Felicia Agamboka, has launched a community campaign aimed at curbing child marriage and other social vices affecting young people in the area.
As part of the initiative, the queen mother cautioned young girls against premarital sex, urging them to preserve their virginity and focus on their education and personal development.
Child marriage, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, reckless motorcycle riding and child betrothal remain major challenges undermining youth education and development in the Feo community, residents say. In some communities within the area, girls under 18 are forced into early marriage by their parents, particularly when they become pregnant.
Pognaba Agamboka described the situation as disturbing, noting that the Bongo District remains one of the areas in the region recording high cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
“As a queen mother, these issues affect not only my community but the entire district,” she said. “We cannot continue to watch our young people lose their future to practices that can be prevented.”
She explained that as part of her strategy to reduce the problem, she has initiated youth-focused programs designed to engage young people positively and help them identify and develop their talents instead of engaging in harmful activities.
The queen mother also emphasized that gender inequality often begins at home, stressing that the fair sharing of household responsibilities between boys and girls would enable more girls to stay in school and increase women’s participation in decision-making processes, which she said is vital for development.
She revealed that the Virtuous Girls Club, established in 2021, has so far supported the education of about 17 girls in the Feo community.
Members of the club expressed gratitude to Pognaba Agamboka for her leadership and commitment to youth and community development. Residents also commended her for her consistent support for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of young people.
The queen mother, together with residents of Feo, appealed to government agencies, politicians, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists, chiefs and other stakeholders to support the initiative to help secure a better future for the next generation.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Moses Anaba Azubire | Bongo
