By Jones Anlimah
Plan International Ghana has launched an ambitious initiative, the “Rooting for Change” project, to address pressing issues of unintended adolescent pregnancies in the Suhum municipality of the Eastern Region. With funding from Tony’s Chocolonely, a leading cocoa company in the Netherlands, the two-year project will focus on Aponoapono and Obretema, two cocoa-growing communities, with plans for potential expansion to other cocoa-growing areas.
The initiative is part of a larger collaboration between Plan International Ghana, Plan International Netherlands, and Tony’s Chocolonely under Tony’s Open Chain program, which seeks to promote sustainable livelihoods for cocoa farmers. Despite these efforts, challenges such as poverty, gender inequality, and limited access to essential services remain prevalent in cocoa-producing regions. These issues have a profound impact on the well-being of girls and young women, making unintended adolescent pregnancies a critical concern.
The “Rooting for Change” project aims to empower at least 800 young people aged 10–19, with 60% being female, by September 2026. The initiative will equip them with the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. It also seeks to provide access to youth-friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services, free from discrimination, coercion, or violence.
Key objectives of the project include promoting positive attitudes and self-confidence among young people regarding SRHR, increasing awareness of harmful practices and gender-based violence (GBV), and promoting an enabling environment for girls and young women to exercise their rights with dignity and autonomy.
The project is supported by a range of strategic partners, including the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, Department of Social Welfare, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, Suhum Municipal Assembly, National Commission on Civic Education, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the International Cocoa Initiative.
With a holistic approach to tackling adolescent pregnancies, “Rooting for Change” underscores the importance of education, empowerment, and community collaboration in building a brighter future for young people in Ghana’s cocoa-growing communities.
