Minister hails church’s role in sexuality issues
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has commended the church’s role in promoting sexuality issues affecting young people.
She said this on Friday in Dowa during the closing ceremony of a two-day National Youth Symposium organised by the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) under N’zatonse Project.
The project, now in phase four, is funded by the German Government’s KfW through ACT Alliance of DanChurchAid and Norwegian Church Aid.
Chiponda said issues of sexual reproductive health and rights for the youth need collaborative efforts to be implemented.
She said: “For the first time, we have had an increased share in funding for sexual and reproductive health rights which is encouraging and this shows how committed we are in making sure that these services are being provided to the youth.”
EAM general secretary Reverend Francis Mkandawire said the beneficiaries of the project have had improved lives and are now messengers of change in their communities.
“Implementing the project has been great and successful in the sense that for the first time, we are seeing the church coming in and getting involved in issues of sexuality,” he said.
DanishChurchAid and Norwegian Church Aid head of finance Bemnet Olango said the project has met its targeted objectives. “We intend to grow the impact of this project in the sexual and reproductive health rights sector with the youth and religious groups in the country,” he said.
