NGO wants girls back to school

Karonga-based local organisation Ukhondo Services Foundation (USF) has stepped up efforts to ensure that girls, who got married during Covid-19  school calendar disruptions, return to school in Mzimba District.

With funding from Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa  (Osisa), the organisation is implementing the project in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chindi in Mzimba.

In an interview on Friday after meeting child development stakeholders, including traditional leaders in Mzimba, USF project officer Violet Mfune said reports of high numbers of child marriages in Mzimba are disheartening.

She said: “Basically, we are looking at the effects that Covid-19 has impacted on the girl child in terms of education. Already, reports are showing that over 550 girls in Mzimba South got married during school closures induced by the pandemic.

“Therefore, we want to dare parents, local leaders and district child stakeholders that we should work in coordination to embark on an initiative to ensure those girls are back in school.”

Mzimba District director of education, youth and sports representative at the meeting, Tiyezge Kayira, said Mzimba is registering high numbers of school dropouts due to early marriages.

“We need to break this culture that girls are a source of wealth in Mzimba. Parents should stop marrying off their daughters, but instead support them to be at school,” she said.

On his part, group village head Odi Odi Banda from T/A Chindi said chiefs in Mzimba have always supported initiatives to end early marriages.