Nsanje District Council chairperson Rose Makiyi has commended Parent and Child Health Initiative (Pachi) for facilitating the return of girls to school.

She said this on Monday during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child in Traditional Authority (T/A) Ndamera in the district.

Makiyi said the organisation’s interventions on gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices were promoting the rights of girls, including the right to education.

She said: “Pachi established Ifenso clubs in primary schools which work with parents, traditional leaders and school management committees to terminate child marriages.

Children display placards denouncing early marriages

“The clubs have also motivated at least 200 girls withdrawn from early marriages to return to school.”

Makiyi said they want more girls to attain

education to become district commissioners or members of Parliament to develop the district.

T/A Ndamera commended Pachi for leading the fight against child marriages in his area.

“Child marriages were rampant in my area but through awareness campaigns led by Pachi, the cases are on the decline,” he said.

Nsanje district social welfare officer Chikumbutso Salifu said 30 percent of learners drop out of school, most of them girls.

He said: “For instance in T/A Ndamera young girls sneak to either Villa Nova or Mutarara in Mozambique where they get married.

“We will engage traditional leaders, mother groups, community victim support unit as well as parents and teachers association to address the situation.”

Pachi district coordinator Nenani Boaz said they want girls to remain in school.

“We don’t want girls to drop out due to early marriages. That is why we launched a project to fight harmful cultural practices that fuel early marriages,” he said.

The organisation is implementing a one-year project on social behaviour change under the Spotlight Initiative Programme with K23 million funding from the European Union

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