Dowa, February 6, 2015: A local NGO- Organization for Sustainable Social –Economic Development Initiative (OSSED) with help from the community child rights and protection committees has withdrawn 13 girls from child marriages and are back to school in Dowa.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency, the Assistant Project Coordinator, and George Kawali said the 12 girls withdrawn are all in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chakhadza and are back to school at Chikwhiri primary school in the district.
Kawali said the aim of the project was to protect and empower vulnerable children and youths in TA Mponela and Chakhadza in the district to be able to resist from all forms of abuse.
“We want to bring awareness to the communities on evils of defilement among children, injustices and human rights violations,” said Kawali.
He urged the communities in the district to continue reporting cases of defilement and other types of child abuse to relevant authorities and the police so that the perpetrators are arrested and brought to book.
OSSED is implementing a project –strengthening child rights and protection structures in TA Chakhaza and Mponela in Dowa with funding from PLAN Malawi.
