By Eranivey Temani
Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF), a local based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) whose aim is to promote women and girls, will soon launch “Rise for Her” project.
The project will be implemented in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiseka and Area 25 semi urban and will focus on gender transformative change through community centered action on elimination of child marriage and gender based violence.
Speaking on Monday in Lilongwe, SOFF’s Programmes Manager Loma Mtema noted that cases of child marriages and gender based violence (GBV) are still rampant despite different interventions that NGOs and government are undertaking.
“It is sad that the country is still registering a lot of cases on teenage pregnancies and GBVs more especially in Dowa and Lilongwe. It is for this reason that we want to launch this project in these two districts to help adolescent mothers to go back to school and be able to sustain their families,” she said.
Mtema then disclosed that the project will among other things assist adolescent girls and young women with different skills, knowledge and resources to help them withstand against child marriages and GBV and also increase school enrolment by 20 percent by June 2024.
“This initiative is very important because women will be trained on income generating activities and groups will be formulated where they will be provided with a capital of 5000 USD (about MK8.7 million) as one way of empowering teen mothers and adolescent girls.
“We will be conducting mentorship and empower the girls with tailoring, baking and business skills and we will also conduct community advocacy sessions of policy formulation for child marriages and GBV,” she said
District Gender Officer Gertrude Simwaka thanked SOFF for coming up with such a wonderful initiative saying fighting GBV and early marriages needs a collaborated effort.
“This project will help a lot of women to report to officials when they are violated and the capital that will be given by the organisation will help these women to be able to sustain their families. This is quite commendable,” she said.
Simwaka however, said there is need for other organisations to join the fight against GBVs and early marriages.
The “Rise for Her” project is to run for six months with financial support from Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera launched the project in Dowa on 11 September, 2023. The project is built under “We are equal” campaign which aims at empowering Chiefs in taking up leading role in closing up gender gaps by helping in equalising opportunities to education, health and economic empowerment.
