Sweden Deputy Ambassador hails child marriages fight
zimbabwe-based Deputy Ambassador of Sweden to Malawi Martin Jo’rnrud has commended communities in Senior Chief Nankumba in Mangochi District for embracing interventions to end child marriages.
Speaking on Wednesday when he visited the area to appreciate the interventions implemented by Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education, he said child marriages prevent young people from achieving their goals despite having the potential to succeed in life.
“I am satisfied with people’s desire to end child marriages. I have learned that traditional leaders, school authorities, youths and mother groups are working together to fight child marriages,” said Jo’rnrud.
He commended the organisation for empowering girls and young women to stay away from early marriages.
“I am also pleased to learn that mother groups withdraw girls from early marriages and send them back to school,” Jo’rnrud.
He encouraged community members to continue working together to come up with better strategies to empower girls and young women to help them pursue their dreams and become agents of development in the area.
Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education executive director Lucky Mbewe commended the deputy ambassador for inspecting their project.
He said: “Jo’rnrud’s visit has motivated us to continue implementing the interventions under the five-year Rise Up, Speak Out and Act Against Child Marriage Project.
“We thank the Swedish Government through IM Swedish Development Partner for supporting the project.”
Mbewe said following people’s testimonies that poverty was fuelling child marriages, they will scale up interventions to empower girls and young women to stay away from early marriages.
Group village head Matekwe asked the donors to economically empower households with capital to start small-scale businesses for families to support their children to end child marriages.
Deborah Nyumwira, one of the youth, appealed to the organisation to empower school leavers with vocational skills.
