This project will recruit, train 300 teenage pregnant mothers over 3 yr period become peer educators for 20 rural schools reaching 6705 girls, the 300 girls will be encouraged to return to school after first delivery to reduce teenage pregnancy, increase girls' education access, reducing literacy gap between boys and girls in Malawi. The project will also help to change social/cultural values in community and schools to support girls' return to school through active community engagement.
Teenage pregnancy is a problem in Malawi schools. 57.2% girls aged 15 to 19 had live birth, 9.0% were pregnant, first child & 63.5% begun childbearing. Rural is higher than urban (MDHS, 2010). Pregnant girls face school withdrawal resulting in reducing education access & increasing literacy gap, poverty levels & inability to social/economic development contribution. Community & schools hostile social/cultural norms towards pregnant girls outside wedlock prevents post delivery education return.
Will recruit 300 teenage pregnant girls, train them as peer educators and these will also be encouraged to return to school after delivery. The trained peer educators will go in schools to educate other girls how to protect themselves from teenage pregnancy. Through community engagement, the project will also work with community and school leaders and parents to create supportive environment for girls return to education after delivery of first baby
The project will increase girls access to education, reduce poverty levels, empower women to effectively contribute to social economic development, change current prevailing social cultural community norms to one that support girls return to education after delivery of first baby and women will have better future job prospects and support of their families economically
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
