adolescent girls and young women
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Joint TB/HIV Global Fund’s principal recipients Action Aid Malawi is geared to intensify implementing programs that economically empower adolescent girls and young women in the country in a bid to reduce risks of contracting HIV due to poverty.
Along side with its partner Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM )and Plan International, Action Aid Malawi is implementing project on adolescent girls in Lilongwe’s area 25 through Malembo Community Based Organization (CBO).
On Wednesday Action Aid with the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM)-a local committee of NGO and Government officials charged with oversight checks and balances in the implementation of Global Fund projects toured community members at Wuliyani village in area 25 and said they were impressed with the adolescent girls and young women project.
Leader of delegation for the committee Erik Schousten observed that the adolescent girls and young women project in area 25 is a good initiative.
He therefore assured the nation of the team requesting Global Fund to increase financial resources towards the project.
“Its the duty of the community members and beneficiaries to see to it that these funds from Global Fund are being really put to good use as is the case here,” Schousten said.
Head of Fundraising and Communication at Action Aid Malawi, Tiwonge Kumwenda disclosed that the exercise targets adolescent girls and young women aged between 14 and 25 with economic empowerment skills, sexual reproductive health rights services and HIV and AIDS prevention interventions.
Kumwenda expressed happiness that the project is producing the much needed results, saying the development calls for even more impact interventions.
“This is a cross-cutting project and really empowering to the girls to address the root causes of HIV infections and gender based violence,” she said.
The girls and young women, who belong to 70 clubs operating under Malembo CBO, manufacture door mats, mopers and several other household items that they sell to earn money which they use to buy their basic needs.
One of the girls, Pemphero Jamali said the project has empowered her economically that she is now able to deny men who want to abuse her.
Malawi’s HIV prevalence rate is one of the highest in the Sub Saharan region and efforts such as those being implemented by Action Aid, are said to be helping in reducing further spread of the virus in the country, especially among the younger generation.
