The Centre for Adolescent Girls and Young Women Initiative (CAGYWI), has rolled out an ambitious piggery pass-on project targeting girls and young women withdrawn from marriages.

CAGYWI is a newly-registered non-governmental organization (NGO) whose main objective is to empower girls and young women who have been withdrawn from early marriages.

Studies have shown that poverty and unemployment are the main causes of child marriages in Malawi. Child marriage perpetuates poverty, inequality and insecurity and is a violation of girls’ human rights to dignity, welfare and equal access to vital opportunities and services, given that, girls are deprived of their childhood and the option of education and find themselves in adult roles, including forced sex and pressure to bear children early.

CAGYWI Executive Director Stella Zimba-Wella said young women in Malawi are disproportionately affected by economic poverty, with many lacking access to resources and opportunities.

Zimba-Wella said it is against this background that her organization decided to roll out the piggery pass-on project to economically empower the survivors.

“We will also be involved in conducting research, offering reproductive health services and counseling through existing community structures. Currently, the project does not have a donor, so we are using our own resources to run it,” she said.

Meanwhile, the organization has distributed 12 pigs to the first beneficiaries in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chitseka in the outskirts of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.

Lilongwe Deputy District Social Welfare Officer, Kettie Simwaka, has commended the initiative, saying it will go a long way in building resilience and empowerment for the survivors of child marriages.

Simwaka promised her office’s commitment to working with CAGYWI in addressing challenges that the survivors are facing.

Chairperson for Chitseka Area Development Committee (ADC), Masautso Banda, expressed gratitude to CAGYWI for the introduction of the project in his area.

Banda said they expect the project to improve the welfare of the beneficiaries.

“We’re very grateful to the organization. As these pigs multiply, the beneficiaries will be able to sell and use the income to venture into other businesses,” she said.

Zimba-Wella has since appealed to like-minded organizations to join them in empowering child marriage survivors with economic activities and programmes.