Pregnancy should never be career ending death sentence for any teen. If mistakes are prone to be made, they will most likely occur during teenage years.
These are the years when the brain is still developing. Young people act impulsively because the prefrontal lobe, responsible for executive function skills like decision making is still not mature or complete. In other cases, dire poverty forces young people to make choices that are not in their best interest.
In Ghanaian culture, teen pregnancy is highly discouraged and rightly so. The stigma of society that comes with being a teen mother acts as a safeguard or a good deterrent against pre-teen sex. However, occasionally, some teens either with low self esteem who seek acceptance and attention by the opposite sex engage in promiscuous behavior and end up pregnant. Other teens become pregnant through dire circumstances such as poverty and even rape forced on them which results in pregnancy.
While pregnancy itself is not a disease or a misfortune, it forces the teen into premature adulthood which end their education and crushes them with the full weight of adult responsibilities. A child meant to be carefree, suddenly becomes an adult who must care for another child.
Adukroman Foundation encourages teenage mothers to still pursue their dreams and goals with the assistance of the community in Adukrom. It has always taken a village to raise a child in our culture. The Foundation hopes to come alongside the teen mother to share educational, financial and mentorship resources within and without Adukrom to enable them to return to school or choose an alternative pathway that leads to a meaningful career and a better outcome for their future.
The goal of Adukroman Foundation is to also solicit the help of mentors in the community who empathize with the teen and become exemplary role models they can look up to in the community. Nobody’s mistakes should define them forever or be a source of perpetual shame from which they can never recover. Adukroman Foundation offers hope for recovery and redemption to a better future, learning from our mistakes and even sharing life lessons with other teens.
The Foundation will provide incentives to women in Adukrom who team together to not only guide these teens but inspire them on their journey back to a successful career.
Donations are always appreciated in making a difference in the lives of teens in Adukrom.
To make a donation, please click on the link below and thank you!
