By BANNERNEWS Reporter
No fewer than 500 adolescent girls who dropped out of school due to unplanned pregnancies are benefiting from a structured reintegration programme in Cross River State, spearheaded by the Her Voice Foundation.
Statistics from the initiative show that 350 of the girls have been re-enrolled through second-chance education pathways, while another 150 are currently undergoing entrepreneurship and skills acquisition training.
The intervention is being delivered under the foundation’s Girls to Women: Stronger, Bolder project, designed to restore access to education and economic opportunities for vulnerable adolescent girls.
Founder of Her Voice Foundation, Favour Abatang, said the project was developed to address the social stigma that permanently excludes young mothers from the school system.
According to her, data from the programme indicate that stigma, rejection and lack of family support remain the biggest barriers preventing pregnant girls and young mothers from returning to classrooms.
Abatang explained that the initiative combines school re-enrolment support with psychosocial counselling, mentorship and life-skills training, enabling beneficiaries to rebuild confidence and reintegrate into formal learning.
She added that the figures recorded so far reflect the foundation’s broader commitment to protecting girls’ rights and reducing the number of permanently out-of-school adolescents in the state.
The project was implemented across Obudu, Bekwarra and Obanliku Local Government Areas, where community leaders report a gradual shift in attitudes toward girls’ education.
In Ablesang community, Chief Shikishong Jeremiah said the programme has helped change parental perceptions, noting that he now actively mobilises families to enrol their daughters in literacy and numeracy programmes.
One beneficiary, 17-year-old Eneji Margaret, said the intervention helped her return to school after dropping out at 15 due to pregnancy and financial hardship. She said the training and educational support have revived her ambition to become a nurse and contribute meaningfully to society.
