GAYO's community program fights child marriage and teen pregnancy in Malawi's Mchinji district
In 2021, Catherine, from Traditional Authority Kapondo in Mchinji district, got married at the age of 15 due to financial constraints her family was facing, writes Brenda Sanudi.
Malawi-In 2021, Catherine, from Traditional Authority Kapondo in Mchinji district, got married at the age of 15 due to financial constraints her family was facing, writes Brenda Sanudi.
"My grandmother could not manage to take care of me, and I was lacking school necessities like books, pens, school uniform, and food, so my family decided to marry me off to lessen the burden," she says.
Malawi has the fourth-highest child marriage rate in Eastern and Southern Africa, where 42 percent of girls marry before the age of 18, and nine percent below the age of 15. According to a UNICEF report on ending child marriages, approximately seven percent of boys marry at the age of 18.
The UNICEF report also shows that child abuse cases occur at a high rate at the hands of someone a child knows and trusts. The report shows that most of these cases take place in homes, institutions, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Catherine is now 17 years old and in grade eight. She is back in school after the Girls Youth Activists Organization (GAYO) intervened in her issue and encouraged her to go back to school. The aspiring teacher says she is now fully geared to achieve her almost-lost academic dreams.
"When I got pregnant, I lost hope. I thought I was done with education and had to become a mother like most girls in my village. But with GAYO's intervention, my dream has been revamped. I will work harder to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher," she says.
Girls Youth Activists (GAYO) is implementing a 'Rusa Community Sponsorship Engagement Programme' project in the area of Traditional Authority Kapondo in Mchinji district to fight child marriages and teen pregnancies. The project aims to safeguard child rights since the area has a high rate of child marriages and other forms of abuse.
The organization's national coordinator, Richard Batch, says it is engaging religious leaders and other partners in Mchinji district to take a leading role in ending child marriages and other forms of child abuse.
Batch says, "Religion binds society together. As such, religious leaders must discuss child marriage and other forms of child abuse to their congregation."
GAYO has been training various stakeholders in the area on child protection to keep all child abuse cases, including child marriages, in check.
"The issues of child marriages and other forms of child abuse are on the rise in the district. Already the district social welfare office indicates 38% of girls below the age of 18 get pregnant, and all this is happening in our communities," he says.
"The faith leaders are so crucial in this fight. When these faith leaders speak, the communities listen. So, we want pastors and sheikhs to take a leading role in speaking out strongly against all forms of child abuse in the communities," he adds.
Sheikh Akila Konde from the Chipumi mosque in the area, says he is happy that GAYO engaged the Muslim community in the area to take a role in fighting child marriages.
"As a sheikh, I am so happy that GAYO could involve the Muslim community in the child marriage issues in this community. The training is so crucial in eradicating the various forms of child abuse in our midst. This will help the Muslim community give the problem the supposed attention it deserves," said Sheikh Konde.
On his part, Chairperson for Pastors Fraternity in Kapondo, Pastor Rabson Chikwapata of Malawi Assemblies of God, said the church plays a big role in marriage issues as wedding officiation takes place in the church.
He said the training will enable faith leaders to officiate marriages where all spouses meet the legal age provided for by the law.
He also said the church must preach against vices during congregations.
"As a church, our role is so crucial in ending the child marriage problem. Marriages are officiated in the church, and we must check against the ages of spouses before officiating. Secondly, we also have a role in ensuring that all children rescued from marriages are taken back to school," he said.
Mchinji social welfare assistant officer Chrispin Onsewa commends GAYO for its initiative, saying it complements the government's efforts in advancing child protection.
"This is essential because GAYO has brought good news here in Rusa to help complement our work as a social welfare office. We have seen that the Rusa area is reporting a lot of child abuse cases. In this case, GAYO is doing an excellent job of encouraging parents to take a leading role in protecting children's rights so that children can have a brighter future," he says.
In the past twelve months, 36 cases of child marriage were reported, and 2420 boys and 2840 girls dropped out of school. The area also registered 2366 cases of child labour.
GAYO is implementing the "Rusa Community Sponsorship Engagement Program" to promote child rights by fighting child marriage, child labour, and other forms of child abuse in the T/A Kapondo area with the support of World Vision Malawi.