In celebrating International Women’s day within its space, ATLAS Initiative organised a 2 day training to sensitised teenage mothers from underserved communities such that they can be privy to information required to live a fulfilled life in spite of their social status.
Newsconnect reports that the two day training was hosted at the Primary Health Care Centre Ita-elewa Ikorodu at the teenage mothers ward. The Livelihood project was supported by UNFPA and Norway.
In an interview with the Program Manager of the Livelihood project by ATLAS Initiative, Oriyomi Abagun said;
“It is important to sensitise these categories of women because they are in underserved communities and people in these communities don’t have access to information usually making the rounds.
“Teenage pregnancy is already like a problem in our society, we can only try our best to curb or reduce it by providing them with this information .
“Yes they are already mothers at their age, but access to all of these informations like how to take care of their body, their sexual reproductive health, learning about HIV, STI and all of these information could actually help them make informed decisions.
“Whatever they have learnt, they should hold it and not eat with it. They should also share it with their peers and anyone that needs to hear this message”.
Health care advocates Tolulope Bakare who facilitated the first day training on Comprehensive Sexual Education shared some of the discussions she had to sensitise the young mothers with our correspondence.
In her words, she said;
“We sensitised teenage women and young adult women on consent and importance of knowing their sexuality. It was an enlightened training because the participants were full of energy and they were open to learning.
“They were asking a lot of questions about their sexual health. One of the take home from today’s training was on consent. We made them understand that consent is very important even in sexual relationships as husband and wife or as man and woman”.
A participant who asked what to do if she turns her spouse’s down when he is willing to have sex got this response;
“It is not actually a case of reporting if it is not related to domestic Violence. It can be mutual. Both parties can communicate together
Let each other know that at the moment I am not available to have sex”.
Tolulope said empowerment goes a long way in training this women and also making them know they have the voice and the power to their body.
She said government should put in more effort in educating this teenage mum and the adult.
“There are lot of teenage pregnancy around this community. They don’t have to give in to their sexual urges every time, government should help to propagate this message by partnering with mom governmental organisations like ATLAS initiative.
“I want to appeal to all women to be confident about themselves and their body because we have the voices to change the world.
“We woman are the tools that are the most important in the society and we should know the importance of that innate ability God has given to us and use it for the betterment of the society”. She said.
ATLAS initiative is a non profit making organisation seeking to address the issues of inequalities in underserved community in Lagos and every part of Nigeria.