Kasungu registers improvement in girls re-admmision to school
Following interventions by various stakeholders, including the Malawi Girl Guides Association (Magga), Kasungu has recorded an improved number of girls being readmitted to school.
Magga executive director Ruth Kamwendo was speaking at Chatoloma Primary School in the district on Tuesdayduring the commemoration of the International Day of the Girlchild organised by bodies under the Child Rights Permanent Committee of the Gender and Coordination Network (GCN).
Kamwendo said Kasungu is one of the districts with high dropout rates due to early pregnancies, early marriages and child labour.
“We did a lot of awareness campaigns in this district with other organisations that promote girl education such us Centre for Youth and Children Affairs [Ceyca] and Youth Empowerment and Civic Education [Yece] which resulted in many girls getting back to school,” said Kamwendo.
She said Magga has been sensitising communities in the district to the re-admission policy.
Kamwendo said: “Many parents, guardians and the children themselves were not aware that they were allowed to go back to school after they dropped out due to various challenges. Now many girls who got married are enrolling at both primary and secondary schools.”
Yece project coordinator Yesani Kapanda said the GCN committee aims to empower both girls and boys and provide them with education opportunities.
“Together with the Grassroots Movement for Health and Development [GMHD] and the Equality and Women Empowerment [Agewe] programme, we are here to promote young people’s meaningful participation in decisions that affect them,” said Kapanda.
