TEENAGE AWARENESS
GROUP (T.A.G)
PROFILE
Teenage Awareness group (T.A.G) is a non-governmental
organization with its root in Iwo, Iwo Local Government Area of Osun state.
It is note-worthy, that we still have a long way to go in this
part of the world. A society where the vast majority of the youth, are not
entirely literate or are not having complete academic education, still has a
long way to go. And how that affects the socio-economic development of the
society at large cannot be over-emphasized.
This is the 21st century, and when the number of
internet users, for instance are increasing across the developing world
geometrically, ours are increasing arithmetically. Or taking agriculture for
instance, when we are asked to go back to the farm so as to boost agricultural
productions, do we go to practice mechanized farming? This and many more
questions are prompted, but do we have the answers?
The Teenage Awareness Group (TAG) in view of this is focusing
mainly on teenage pregnancy among students in secondary schools across the
state.
The organization, after due consideration and research work
decided to take on this menace. And the targeted group are, mainly secondary
school students between the age range of 12 and 18 years.
The group is aiming at checking or rather reducing drastically
the rate at which students drop out of school as a result of carrying unwanted
pregnancy.
We believe that very low percentage of students affected get the
opportunity of returning back to school. And this is a modern age where the
importance of quality and of course complete education is very important in
virtually all works of life.
The
World Health Organization (WHO), in one of its publications dated October 2008
stated that adolescent girls who give birth each year have a much higher risk
of dying from maternal causes compared to women in their 20s and 30s. These
risks increase greatly as maternal age decreases, with adolescents under 16,
facing four times the risk of maternal death as women over 20. Moreover, babies
born to adolescents also face a significantly higher risk of death compared to
babies born to older women. These and more are consequences of teenage
pregnancy.
HOW DO WE GO
ABOUT THESE
The
T.A.G team, having seen how detrimental, the incompletion of education could be
to our affected adolescents, intends to take upon the herculean task of putting
them back in school.
T.A.G is resolved to get this done with the
support of the parents of the affected ones, the welfare department, as well as
the stakeholders in the educational sector.
Although
we know how challenging all these are, especially the need to cater the child
while the mother goes back to school. That is where we intend to work in
conjunction with the welfare officers in the locality, and the need to get the
much needed support from the government.
Our
goal of ensuring that adolescents have quality education unfortunately cannot
be attained by our efforts alone, it takes the collective responsibility of all
the stakeholders, groups, religious leaders, the ministry of education,
ministry of women affairs, the welfare board, child’s rights groups, you and
me.
MISSION
STATEMENT
To
help keep adolescents in school beyond the senior secondary by putting them, on
the right track and making them, see reasons why teenage pregnancy will
ultimately thwart their dreams of achieving their goals, and incorporating the
affected adolescents back to our school.
VISION
To reach out to all
the secondary school adolescents in the state and beyond.
BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
Ø Baba
Shoyele
Ø Chief
(Mrs.) Atanda
Ø Mrs.
Falade
Ø Chief
Bamiduro
Ø Mr.
Fowowe
