Find Your Feet Trains Leaders to Combat Teen Pregnancy in Machinga
Project Coordinator Mwayiwawo Nthala emphasized the importance of empowering local leaders.
MACHINGA, Malawi— A local NGO, Find Your Feet, conducted a three-day workshop to equip religious and community leaders with knowledge on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in an effort to curb rising teenage pregnancies in Machinga district, writes Peter Davieson.
Project Coordinator Mwayiwawo Nthala emphasized the importance of empowering local leaders.
"Our focus is on changing their attitude towards SRHR issues. You will agree with me that these are community gatekeepers hence they have a vital role in social behavior change among our youths," Nthala said.
Humphrey Chipinda, field officer at Find Your Feet, noted that community leaders are often overlooked in SRHR initiatives.
According to survey, Machinga is one of the districts with high cases of teenage pregnancies, Chipinda said.
Dr. Kenneth Mkandawire, coordinator for youth-friendly health services at Machinga District Hospital, highlighted concerning statistics.
"Among 100 pregnancies, 25% are youths below 20 years of age," he said, adding that only 28% of women use contraceptives.
Pastor Felix Chinula of Machinga Assemblies of God expressed his commitment to incorporating SRHR messages into his work.
"Apart from preaching the gospel of God, we will also have time to spread the message of sexual and reproductive health rights to youths," he said.
The workshop, financed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy through the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid Malawi Joint Country Programme, aims to bridge the gap between local leaders and SRHR issues, addressing misconceptions about contraceptives and promoting positive change in the community.