Anglicans fight early marriages

The Anglican Council through the Community Integrated Interventions (CII) project has intensified efforts to fight against early marriages in Ntchisi.

Since 2016, the project has rescued 57 girls aged between 13 and 16. The girls have so far been enrolled in school.

In appreciation of the volunteers’ work the council presented bicycles to the Kayoyo Community Committee to ease mobility problems in locating girls forced into marriage.

Senior Chief Nthondo, who has taken a personal interest in the war against early marriages, said the problem is rampant in his area.

“Realising how big the problem of early marriages was we enacted by-laws which give me power to end any marriage for a girl aged below 18,” said the chief.

Anglican Diocese of Lake Malawi diocesan secretary Canaan Emmanuel Makalande said the interventions were facing mobility challenges because the area is hilly.

“Mobility has been a big problem and that is the reason we have decided to donate bicycles to help them in their tasks. This project is about giving girls a chance in life through education and we target primary schools,” he said.

Maria Dalison, a community team member, acknowledged that they have a huge task.

“This area is big with a population of about 28 700 as of 2017. When we hear that a girl has been forced into marriage we go to that part to end the marriage,” she said.