Government says the best gift that families and the nation as a whole can give to a girl child is education.Minister of Higher Education Professor Nkandu Luo says it is however saddening that some parents are in the habit of forcing their girl children in early marriages as they perceive them as burdens once they fail to meet their needs.
Professor Luo observed that lack of sanitary pads for instance is a serious hindrance for a girl child to attend classes hence government is working towards addressing such challenges to enable the adolescent female child not to stay away from class.The Minister was speaking when she received 140, 000 sanitary pads donated by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to schools in her constituency .
The donation to the schools in the area is aimed to meet the sanitary needs of the girl-child.Prof. Luo has since urged the adolescent girl children to take advantage of the development and ensure that they report for school even when they are having their monthly periods.
Meanwhile, AHF Country Programme Manager Mabvuto Kango says providing a girl child with sanitary pads reduces their potential of going to ask for such commodities from persons who could harm them.Dr. Kango added that provision of sanitary pads in schools will help improve the girl child’s performance thereby leading them to being educated and self-reliant.
He said the donation is also aimed at addressing the reproductive health matters that are sometimes treated as taboo and yet they negatively affect the girl child.
And speaking on behalf of the schools in Munali constituency, Mahatma Gandhi Head teacher Stanely Chileshe says the schools appreciate the donation which he said has come as an eye opener as to why most adolescent girls stay away from school without giving a justifiable reason for staying away.
Government programs and not donations is the only way we shall progress once again..
Correct, uncorrupted use of tax monies is what will make Zambia progress again.