The Ghana Education Service (GES) has pledged to take full ownership of the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) Project following its official closure in Navrongo after five years of implementation.
Speaking at the municipal durbar to mark the project’s closeout, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal SHEP Coordinator, Pamela Adamwaba Buntugu, described the intervention as a turning point for schools in the area.
“The SHARE Project has greatly supported our schools by promoting inclusive and gender-responsive education and improving learning outcomes,” she said. “It has helped us create safer and more supportive environments for our children, especially the most vulnerable.”
Implemented by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Ghana with support from Global Affairs Canada and partners, the project focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. It operated in four districts in the Upper East Region — Bongo, Kassena-Nankana West, Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Builsa North — reaching 200 schools, 75 health facilities and 78 electoral areas.
Since 2021, the initiative has worked to reduce teenage pregnancy, address harmful cultural practices and encourage open conversations around reproductive health — an issue often considered taboo in many communities.
Madam Buntugu said the results are already visible.
“We have seen a reduction in teenage pregnancies and stronger collaboration between teachers, parents and health workers,” she stated. “Our students are more confident, and parents are more engaged than before.”
With funding ending this month, she assured stakeholders that GES would not allow the progress made under the project to fade.
“As we officially mark the closeout, I want to assure this gathering that GES is fully committed to sustaining the gains made,” she pledged. “We will strengthen supervision, continue applying the best practices, and work closely with school leaders, teachers and community members to ensure that every child, especially the girl child, has the opportunity to learn and succeed.”
She further emphasised that education remains a collective responsibility.
“This project has shown us that when the community, schools and traditional leaders work together, change is possible. We must continue to protect and build on what we have achieved.”
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