Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has commended development partners for their continued support towards empowering adolescent girls and young women through the Safe Spaces Mentorship Programme.
Speaking during a roundtable and signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Lilongwe on Tuesday, the ministry’s principal secretary Jameson Ndalama described the programme as a critical investment in Malawi’s future.
He hailed partners, including the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), the Government of Ireland, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for their continued support in addressing challenges facing girls and young women such as child marriages, school dropout, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies.
“We have already seen encouraging results from this programme. Many girls who once dropped out of school are now running businesses,” said Ndalama.
He said the partnership will help to expand access to mentorship, education, sexual and reproductive health services, psychosocial support and economic opportunities for more girls across the country.
UNFPA deputy representative Sabrina Pestilli said the programme has become one of the most effective approaches in improving the well-being of adolescent girls.
She said the programme has reached about 140 000 girls through over 2 600 safe spaces established nationwide since 2019.
During the event, Koica Tanzania country director Sikhyon Kim signed agreements worth $7.6 million with UNFPA and the Government of Malawi to support the Adolescent Girls and Young Women Empowerment and Resilience Project.
Kim said Koica remains committed to supporting Malawi in building resilient systems that empower girls and young women with skills, education and economic opportunities.
Girls Empowerment Network executive director Faith Phiri welcomed the MoU.
