Kawale communities in violence awareness

The Malawi Girl Guides Association (Magga) has launched a project in Lilongwe aimed at building safer communities by raising awareness of negligence, violence and abuse among locals.

Magga programmes coordinator Isabel Kang’ombe said the project, called Making Our Communities Safer, will involve sensitising community members to the abuse that children as well as the elderly face within communities and ensure that all forms of violence towards these groups are stopped.

She said: “We are sure all forms of violence will be dealt with holistically, using already existing structures and we will only provide them with new strategies. It is also our aim to see people speak out when they see abuse.”

In her remarks, Esther Mingo, of Kawale Police Station Victim Support Unit (VSU), said the project will greatly reduce incidences of abuse in communities.

She said: “We will work with Magga to deal with cases of abuse, especially concerning children. Issues of parents defiling young children are prevalent in Kawale Township and this project is timely.

“We have also noted that many parents do not know how to handle unruly children. In most cases, they bring such children to us or chase them from their homes; but with this project, we are sure parents will raise their children with love, so that they grow up into productive citizens.”

Kawale Township block leader Rhodrick Tengatenga said the project will also help children to open up to their parents and guardians.

He said: “I also encourage teachers to embrace the project so that their relationship with learners improves.”

Magga is implementing the project in Chiwoko Mtedza and Balang’ombe educational zones.