A group of women from traditional authorities (T/As) Katuli and Bwananyambi in Mangochi have hailed a Peace Building Fund project which Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) is implementing in their areas.
Speaking on Friday during the review meeting of the project, one of the women, Memory Kassimu from Litemwe Village, T/A Katuli, said the project has tackled sexual gender-based violence, human trafficking, child marriages, among other vices in the area.
She said: “This area used to be a hot-bed of sexual gender-based violence, human trafficking, child marriages, school dropouts, HIV and Aids, among others. But now, with the project, we have seen the vices going down.”
Her colleague, Halima Mdala from Nsalule Village, said the project enlightened them on how they can prevent conflicts between themselves and their friends from neighbouring Mozambique.
“We stay around the border (Katuli) and previously before this project, we used to face problems with our friends from Mozambique. But not anymore and we are now friends,” she said.
Chiponde Border officer-in-charge Benjamin Nyirenda said the project has helped them to deal with issues of human trafficking, which was rampant in the area.
“Before the project, we were inundated with cases of human trafficking, now after the implementation of the project, we rarely have the cases,” he said.
In her remarks, Yoneco Mangochi district manager Funny Chilembo expressed satisfaction with the positive outcome of the project, saying the testimonies from the people show that the project is making changes.
Yoneco is implementing the project in three borderline communities in Mangochi, namely Katuli, Bwananyambi and Makanjira, to strengthen and build peace infrastructures for conflict prevention and sustaining peace
