A group of female professionals in the Western Region, known as 'The Virtuous Boardroom', has supported 30 teenage mothers in Ahanta West.

The support, according to the President of the group, Nana Yaa Amoako-Adu, is to show the young ladies that regardless of their situation their lives do not have to come to a standstill.

"They can get back up. Take this opportunity that has been offered them and work at building their dream and once they stay committed that dream will surely come to pass," she said.

Ten of the girls who showed interest in sewing had their fees paid for them. Again, the girls received a sewing machine each and were given the needed materials to learn the trade.

Six of the girls expressed the desire to continue their education. Five who are at the Junior High School level also had their fees and other ancillary supports taken care of till they write their BECE.

Two of the girls who showed interest in hairdressing had their apprenticeship fees paid in full with additional materials to enable them to learn the vocation.

Another girl showed an interest in catering and had her fees paid in full to enable her complete her chosen vocation at the Abura Vocational School.

Also, another girl who is going to the Senior High School (SHS) will be taken care of for the entire three-year period she will be in school.

The Virtuous Boardroom also selected six mothers of the girls and supported each with ¢500.

The financial support, to the mothers, is to enable them to start a trade so they will be in better conditions to take care of the babies of their daughters while they are in school.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Ahanta West Municipal Health Director, Timothy Kobina Ofori said the continuous increase of teenage pregnancy in his municipality for the past three years is alarming.

"Teenage pregnancy is prevalent here in Ahanta West. We have been leading with the highest number of cases of teenage pregnancy in the region for the past three years. Even though the percentage count is reducing, we are sadly increasing in the absolute count," he said.

The Municipality has since 2018, to date, consistently led as the assembly with the highest number of teenage pregnancy cases in the Western Region.

In 2018, the municipality recorded 701 cases representing 17.2%. In 2019, it recorded 711 cases representing 16.7% and in 2020, had 739 cases representing 16.1%.

Mr Ofori explained that the victims are mostly between the ages of 13 to 19 adding that majority of them are at Junior High School (JHS) level.

The Virtuous Boardroom, a group of female professionals drawn from diverse backgrounds on the occasion of the birthday of its President, Nana Yaa Amoako-Adu, decided to offer support to selected victims of teenage pregnancy in the Municipality.

Madam Nana Yaa Amoako-Adu while presenting the packages said the gesture is to encourage and demonstrate to the girls that their lives should not end because they have made "a mistake".

"They should not allow their mistake to affect them in any way. Rather it should serve as a learning curve for them. We will continue to help them once they stay committed".

According to her, she was encouraged to lead the Virtuous Boardroom to show love to the girls because everyone needs a second chance in life and "because as our motto says we rise by lifting others".

"I did what I did because God told me to do it. And it was not hard for me to hear and respond to God's call because this is something I do and like to do a lot."

"I want to encourage all of us to give no matter how small it is. You may think it is small but in the eyes of the beneficiary, that which you consider small may mean the whole world to him or her."

The beneficiaries thanked the members of the Virtuous Boardroom and promised to learn from their mistakes by making good use of the "second chance given to them."