A total of 57 survivors of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in three districts of the Upper West Region have been empowered through guidance and counselling to enable them to overcome the potential impact of the menaces on their lives. ActionAid Ghana facilitated the guidance and counselling for girls aged between 14 and 18 from the Jirapa, Sissala East and Lambussie Districts as part of its programme interventions in the region to enable them to focus on achieving their life dreams. The initiative aligned with the organisation's focal area of advocating for zero tolerance for violence against women and girls under Strategic Priority Two (Women's Rights and Decent Work) of its Country Strategic Paper Seven (CSP VII). The intervention would also contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5), which aimed to 'Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls' by 2030. Targets 5.2 and 5.3 of that goal sought to 'Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation' and 'Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation' by 2030 respectively. Speaking at the counselling event in Jirapa, Madam Abiba Nibaradun, the Upper West Regional Manager of ActionAid Ghana (AAG), said the intervention was to offer the girls the opportunity to voice out their pain, which they might not have been able to express to their families and friends for fear of criticism and self-blame. She said the platform would help them overcome their fears, have confidence in themselves and work hard in their studies to achieve their aspirations. 'This meeting with you today is not to criticise and blame you for what has happened. It is meant to support you overcome your fears and guide you to understand the steps you need to take and the pitfalls to avoid and work hard to achieve your goals', she explained. Madam Nibaradun advised the survivors not to allow their past experiences to define their future. She encouraged those currently not in school to return to school and stay focused to succeed in life.  She said that would make their lives living testimonies to motivate others who might have been in similar situations and want to give up on their education. Most of the survivors showed determination to continue their education despite the challenge with some sitting for the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination with the pregnancy while some had given birth and returned to school. 'You are strong girls to have come out boldly in this condition to participate in the counselling session without giving up. Some girls are out there, who went through similar situations and have given up on pursuing their dreams,' Madam Nibaradun said. Mr Huudu Kunaateh, the Jirapa Municipal Director of Education, told the girls that their decision to avail themselves to be counselled was an indication that they were better and courageous tha n those who aborted their pregnancies and probably ended up with complications. While thanking AAG for the intervention, he urged the girls to utilise the counselling they received to have a better life in future. Madam Joyce Salifu Kanton, a Counselor and Psychologist, encouraged the girls to see their current situations as mistakes and to make amendments to achieve a brighter future. She urged AAG to link the counsellors to the girls' parents for effective reintegration because some parents had sour relationships with their children due to those unfortunate conditions. Mr Mba Asalma Richard, Immediate Past Counselor at the SDD-UBIDS, encouraged the girls to 'forget about the past and focus on the future and have hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.' He also urged them to have plans and targets for their lives, which would motivate them to put in their best to meet those targets. Some of the girls, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, expressed willingness to return to school af ter they received the counselling and motivation. In all, 84 girls aged between 14 and 18 years at the basic and S.H.S levels had been identified as survivors of teenage pregnancy and child marriage in the three districts. Out of that number 28 were pregnant, 24 were rescued from child marriages and the remaining 32 girls had given birth and some returned to school. Source: Ghana News Agency