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Troica hails Yoneco GBV interventions

Troica World deputy executive director Finola Finnan has commended YouthNet and Counselling Organisation (Yoneco) for implementing interventions aimed at reducing violence against women and children.

She said this yesterday when she toured some of Yoneco’s programmes and headquarters in Zomba.

Finnan said Yoneco’s youth and women-friendly services were helping to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) cases in the district.

Mkandawire takes Finnan (L) around Yoneco premises in Zomba yesterday

She said: “The Tithandizane HelpLine, children’s protection, climate and environmental interventions are areas that excite us because we know they are linked to our strategies and priorities.

“We are a social justice organisation which believes in working with the communities, as such, we value this partnership with Yoneco.”

Yoneco executive director McBain Mkandawire said his organisation is receiving more cases of child and women’s abuse.

He said: “There is much demand for our services. We are looking for ways to adequately fund the services to meet the increasing demand.

“For instance, for 2021/22, we planned to handle 6 000 cases but we ended up handling 8 000 cases.”

Mkandawire said the Covid-19 pandemic and Tropical Storm Ana also increased the demand for Yoneco’s services.

He said: “The storm displaced some people who are seeking refuge in camps.

“So, we have also received cases of abuse of women and girls in the camps.”

Therefore, Mkandawire said the organisation needs more funding to train officers to improve response to the emerging cases in camps.

Yoneco is one of the local non-governmental organisations that champions the rights of women and girls.

Troica is a development  arm of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

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