A Girl Child is at risk of being raped, dropping out of school because of lack of academic resources, leading to early marriages. Malawi has registered an extremely increase (63%) in teen pregnancies and marriages especially during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. Our project aims at providing access to academic resources to the less privileged girl child learners around Ndirande community as a means to keep a girl child active and occupied. We will conduct awareness campaigns on sexual abuse.
There is a high increase in rape cases reported dairy- 148 reported at police office this year and a high drop out of girl child at school due to teen pregnancies and marriages. It has been noted that most cases are perpetrated by either parents or amongst siblings due to lack of availability of academic resources like books, sanitary pads, COVID-19 PPE and school uniforms. Many cases are rising from girls from less privileged and rural areas who find challenges to find academic resources.
The project will restore hope for a girl child in insuring right for education by providing her with access to the basic academic resources, personal protective equipments for COVID-19 and ensuring a safe community from gender based violences. With the available of the academic resources parents will be encouraged and motivated to avoid forcing their girl child into early marriages.
The project will benefit more learners, as one beneficiary can borrow and share her study books to 4-6 learners within the community. The beneficiary will also pass on the study books to another learner within the community once she enters another academic year hence adding more beneficiaries to the program each year. We believe that successfully beneficiaries, selected to secondary schools and universities will be a raw models and help to inspire other girls in the community.
