Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian says it has reached out to 6 560 adolescents with youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services and information in Nkhata Bay District.
The church is implementing a three-year Every Youth Empowered Project under Livingstonia Synod for Action Project to scale up access to sexual and reproductive health services among adolescents in the lakeshore district.
Speaking on Friday when he presented Every Youth Empowered Project progress report before Nkhata Bay District Executive Committee, Livingstonia Synod for Action Project programmes manager Gilbert Phiri said the initiative seeks to empower adolescents and young people in Traditional Authority Nyaliwanga to take control of their lives and make informed decisions regarding their health and well-being.
“When we launched the project, access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information among adolescents was limited. Many youths were unaware of the services available or where to find them. Myths and misconceptions were widespread,” he said.
Phiri, however, expressed confidence that the project will meet its final-year goal of
reaching an additional 11 000 adolescents.
“Despite challenges such as commodity stockouts in health facilities, we have reached this high number. We’re working to address these setbacks while strengthening sustainability measures at all levels,” he said.
Nkhata Bay district youth officer Youngson Ngwira commended the synod for its commitment and impact in empowering young people.
He said: “Young people in Nyaliwanga’s area are better informed and more confident in making decisions about their health and we wish this to be replicated across the district.
“The council remains committed to supporting such initiatives and encourage the synod to continue integrating vocational training and economic empowerment activities,” he said.
The synod is implementing the project with support from the Presbyterian World Service and Development in Canada.
