NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) has rolled out a two-year Elevate Her Future-Kwezani Tsogolo Lake project in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kachindamoto in Dedza District to protect girls from early marriages.
The new project is expected to receive support from the new T/A Kachindamoto who was installed last year after the death of his predecessor Theresa Kachindamoto who left a legacy of being a staunch fighter against child marriages.
In her remarks on Monday, NGO-GCN board chairperson Maggie Kathewera Banda expressed concern over continued child marriages across the country.
She said the project will, among others, increase girls’ admission to schools in the district. “We want to protect the future of girls in T/A Kachindamoto in the district,” she said Banda.
She said they chose to roll out the project in the area to honour the work of the late T/A Kachindamoto who terminated over 3 500 child marriages during her campaign against the malpractice.
Banda, who is also Women’s Legal Resources Centre executive director, has since called upon traditional leaders to terminate child marriages.
On her part, UN Women country representative Letty Chiwara said they introduced the Chief Kachindamoto Fund to recognise the efforts of the late senior chief in ending child marriages.
“Throughout her time, she annulled child marriages and contributed a lot in ensuring that girls do not get married before 18,” she said.
In response, T/A Kachindamoto pledged to continue the good work of his predecessor in ending child marriages in his area.
“I welcome the initiative and it has been my wish to continue where my late sister stopped in rescuing children from marriages,” he said.
NGO-GCN will implement the project with financial support from the Government of Norway through UN Women Malawi under the Chief Kachindamoto Fund
