As one way of ending early marriages and teenage pregnancies, traditional and faith leaders in Nsanje District are taking the lead in promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) awareness.
Group Village Headman (GVH) Chisi of Traditional Authority (T/A) Tengani is organizing sporting activities for young people in his area.
He explained that sporting events, such as football bonanzas, provide an effective platform to share SRHR messages with the youth.
“Out of my love for football, I realized that many young people gather in large numbers during such activities. I decided to start organizing bonanzas to create a space where SRHR messages can be shared before and after the matches,” he said.
The chief added that during these gatherings, he educates adolescents on the dangers of teenage pregnancies and early marriages.
One of the youths who participates in the bonanzas, January Becent, said the initiative is changing his life.
“I am benefiting a lot from the messages shared before and after the bonanza, and I am now able to make the right decisions about my future,” he said.
GVH Chisi initiated the program after observing an increase in teenage pregnancies and early marriages in his area, largely due to lack of information on SRHR.
Meanwhile, GVH Kailedzi from the same district has also intensified efforts to end early marriages. She has helped more than two young girls in her community avoid early marriage after getting pregnant.
She explained that her community formulated by-laws requiring parents to pay penalties if their children get pregnant, as a way of discouraging negligence.
“For example, I am currently handling two cases involving girls aged 16, both in Standard 6, who had married after falling pregnant. I summoned their parents, enforced the penalties according to the by-laws, and advised the girls not to marry because they are still young. I also encouraged them to return to school after giving birth,” she said.
GVH Kailedzi confirmed that the two girls are now back in their parents’ homes. She also called on fellow chiefs to take a leading role in ending child marriages and teenage pregnancies, stressing that such practices hinder development in their communities.
She further urged parents to openly discuss issues affecting their children to prevent teenage pregnancies and early marriages.