Pupils and parents in the village of Bohibly, Toulepleu division in the far west of Cote d'Ivoire met under the auspices of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) on Thursday 17 April 2014 to discuss ways of putting a stop to early pregnancies in school.



Officials from UNOCI and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) explained the consequences of early pregnancy on the future of the school girl and the village and called on the parents and pupils to be part of the fight against this phenomenon.



Desire Niyongabo of UN Police outlined the causes of early pregnancy and what conduct to adopt in order to avoid becoming a victim and dropping out of school. He called on them to report cases of early pregnancies which have become rampant in the Toulepleu division so that perpetrators can be punished.



The UNHCR representative told parents to provide pocket allowance to enable the young girls to meet their basic needs. "Dear parents, you should encourage your children to work hard and devote their energy to their studies so they can become the proud representatives of this village and help Cote d'Ivoire in its development process," he observed.



The president of the youths in Bohibly, Rudolphe Kuisse thanked UNOCI for the constructive discussions. "The youths are committed to spreading the message and sensitizing the population. This is going to be part of our holiday programme," he promised.



The deputy village chief also praised the UNOCI initiative and promised that they were going to ensure that the young girls in school get the needed attention and support.



The sensitization campaign marked the beginning of socio-cultural activities oganised by the students association of Bohibly as part of Easter holiday activities.