For quite some
time, many people and some studies have indicated that poverty plays a role in
exposing young people more especially girls to HIV infection. Without affirming
or dismissing the assertion stated above, a number of initiatives like social
safety nets and other innovative strategies have been designed to support needy
young people.
Upon seeing how
vulnerability could lead them into temptations, out of school young mothers can
borrow a leaf from a group that enthralled me in Nkhata Bay district.
On one
particular Tuesday morning, I and some colleagues travelled to the western side
of Nkhata Bay district. The aim of our expedition was to strictly have a chat
with young people in Chituka village which is in Traditional Authority
Malengamzoma’s area. The youth we
visited at Chituka Drop in Centre that was established by YONECO had a lot of
success stories that have come about due to YONECO’s Drop in Centre
initiative. We had wonderful
discussions and we learnt a lot in terms of how the youth are able to access life
skills as well as comprehensive and correct information about their sexual
reproductive health.
Just like all
other lakeshore districts, temperature in Nkhata Bay is usually high and on
this particular day, we decided to go out for an early lunch. We asked our
friends from the area to show us where we could get some dry fish for lunch
within the vicinity of Chituka Village which has over 200 people.
We bought nice
fish from a young lady who only identified herself as Medify. We then proceeded
to buy cassava flour, onions and some tomatoes from another young lady- I later
learnt that her name was Grace. We realised that we had no matches and cooking
oil and one of our young friends from the area escorted us to a small but well
stocked retail shop. The young lady who was behind the counter greeted us and
happily packed all the things we bought in a blue plastic bag and gave us some
change.
On our way back,
we asked our companion why everyone who sold us the items was a young lady. We
wondered whether the men who own such businesses just force the young girls to
handle the businesses on their behalf while they go around drinking. Bulande
then asked;
“Do you think
they could have been that happy if the businesses were not theirs?”
As we were
preparing our lunch, Bulande and other friends from the area gave us a
background to the intriguing experience we just had during the time we were purchasing
our items.
With support
from UNFPA, YONECO officers in the district facilitated the establishment of a
group of single young mothers. Among other things, the aim of the group is to
act as a forum where the young mothers should share important information about
Sexual Reproductive Health and Health. Furthermore, the group is also effective
as YONECO easily reaches out to the young mothers with trainings as well as
capacity building exercise in a number of areas.
What we heard
about the young mothers’ club prompted us to dedicate the rest of the afternoon
in having some talks with the Alinafe Young Mothers Club. Frankly speaking, it
was an afternoon well- spent as we learnt a lot from the individual members and
their smiles and bright faces also told us a lot.
Now, a closer
inspection on the issue of poverty and sexual reproductive health informs us
that poor young girls are more vulnerable to unintended pregnancies, STIs
including HIV. This is the case due to the fact some unscrupulous men use money
and other material things as gambits to have sex with the girls by taking advantage
of their vulnerability.
One of the girls
from the Young Mothers’ club, Sara, summed it up all by saying that “it is
difficult for such young girls who are in serious financial dilemmas to
negotiate safe sex as their interest is to make ends meet”.
The young mothers are faced with a challenge of supporting themselves as well
as their babies which is not an easy task for them.
The success came
in after a component of Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) was introduced
into the mainstream activities of the group. The girls managed to access soft
loans from the VSLA and they all ventured into various small scale businesses
that are now enhancing their socio-economic welfare.
One of the young
mothers whose parents died some years ago, Medify Manda, sells fish and she is
a reliable supplier of dry fish in her village. Medify is now able to pay tuition
fees for her younger sibling who is in Form 2 of her secondary school studies
at one of the secondary schools in the area.
There were a
number of achievements which the young mothers told us and with continued
support and encouragement from YONECO, the girls are bound to progress further
and be able to raise their children without any difficulties.
During this encounter,
I realised that young people have the potential to uplift their lives and they
just need to be creative in their efforts. We cannot keep on blaming poverty
for all our problems while we have the energy to do things that should support
us. This group only stands as a model as they have proved that it is possible.
UNFPA has been
supporting a number of YONECO’s interventions that are aimed at promoting
sexual reproductive health and rights of young people. With support from UNFPA,
YONECO has been able to reach out to young people with various SRH
interventions in a number of districts including Chikwawa, Machinga and Mangochi.
