The Young Women Christian Association ( YWCA ) in Mongu District of Western Province says lack of adequate schools and boarding facilities have led to increased early marriages among School going children in the province.
YWCA Regional Coordinator Sandra Maputa says only on three Secondary Schools namely Holy Cross Girls Secondary, Kambule Technical School and Saint John’s Secondary which she said are not government schools.
Mrs. Maputa noted that limited number of school spaces and high tuition fees in the existing Secondary Schools in the District has contributed greatly to a girl child dropping out of school due to lack of funds.
She also disclosed that initiation ceremonies for young girls have also been a contributing factor to early marriages adding that once a girl child goes through the initiation ceremony the interest of going
back to school becomes the thing of the past adding that marriage becomes a priority to such a one.
Meanwhile Mrs. Maputa said the Organization is working tirelessly under the re-entry policy in sensitizing Schools, Parents, Traditional Leaders and Communities at large on the dangers of early marriages and the importance of going back to school.
She added that parents should relent from using their girl children as the source of income, stressing that education plays an important role in poverty reduction at household level.
And Mrs. Maputa has appealed to government to increase boarding facilities and bursaries for vulnerable children in order for to have access to education for a better and bright future.
The organization has so far sensitized 7 communities namely Namushkendi, Mutuwambwa, Ikulwe, Siiwa, Makapaila, Mutemwa and Bethlem on early marriages since October last year.
Nonsense! There’s nothing good about institutionalizing children! Orphanages included!
This is ridiculous. Boarding school or day school, if one wants to end their child’s education it will be done. Educate those ignorant parents about the benefits of education rather than keeping cows and getting married to an old man with cows so that the parents, especially the father, may eat or drink beer.
Who comes up with these things? Is this really the solution? You need to get your government, involved and include sex education in schools whether people like it or not. Parents can play a key role in educating their children because if it comes from them, children can relate more. Have a sex educator in community centers and encouraging boys and girls to attend weekly activities such as a movie on sex education and later provide incentives such as snacks or have them bake and serve those snacks while they play soccer or netball activities after getting them engaged. Involve doctors, nurses nurses, the police and youth minister as guest speakers when engaging the youth. They can talk about rape, molestation, HIV/AIDS etc. This is how to move forward in 2015.