The Malawi Girl Guides Association (Magga) has urged parents from Mitundu in Lilongwe to be role models for their children by avoiding excessive beer drinking and smoking.
Magga chief commissioner Mary Ngwale made the appeal on Saturday to 50 couples from Mpatsankhondo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiseka in Lilongwe when they went to the lake in Salima to relax and exchange marriage experiences.
Ngwale said: “Parents are the first role models for children. In a family, children think that whatever their parents do is good and acceptable. Therefore, we encourage parents to avoid excessive beer drinking and smoking because children will think that doing so is normal.
“If children emulate this, it will affect their education and they cannot become reliable citizens, in as far as development is concerned.”
She said the association took the couples to the lake to learn from one another how to have a happy family which prioritises children’s education.
Ngwale also said every family has a different story on how they raise their children; therefore, the get-together was crucial for the couples to exchange such experiences.
One of the couples, Binalison and Zina Bikodi, described the trip as helpful, saying it changed their attitude towards marriage.
“Our marriage has been full of quarrels for a long time because of lack of sexual satisfaction. However, the presentations about sex and marriage we listened to at the lake, have taught us how we can enjoy sex as a couple.
“Furthermore, we will always ensure that we encourage our children to work hard in school. We will also avoid excessive beer drinking and smoking which children easily learn from their parents,” said Zina.
The trip was part of Magga’s happy family programme, funded by Forut Campaign for Development and Solidarity. n
