Reflections on the Youth and Mental Health as the World Commemorates the International Youth Day

The world all over celebrates the International Youth Day which falls on every twelfth day of the month of August since 1999 and this year’s event will be commemorated under the theme ‘Youth and Mental Health’.

 

This day provides a great opportunity for the world to reflect and revisit the strategies that are employed in glooming the youth who form almost half of the globe’s populace.  This is a sect of our society that will lead and ensure sustainable development in the near future. However, there seems to be a beast that affects their individual growth and development – Mental health disorders make up the aforementioned beast that has to be dealt with otherwise there will be no any future for the world.

Youth hood is really tough and we struggle to define ourselves as human beings, while at the same time, we are also constantly trying to find a place where we can fit in as individuals in the communities where we live in. It is during this stage of human life whereby a lot of young people become mentally disturbed due to a number of factors like; stress, alcohol, drug and substance abuse among other factors.

 It is also an undeniable fact that young people face a lot of stigma and neglect in each and every day of their lives. The irony is that this happens to be a period in one’s life where you need a lot of support from parents, relatives and community members at large. Without proper guidance, love and care, it is easy for a young person to lose direction at this stage in his or her life.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that when a thing loses its direction, there is no way it can reach its destination and unless proper direction is outlined to it. This is why most bright and promising young people in this world go astray at such a tender age.

It is always heartrending and alarming to hear or notice that a young person is mentally ill and this is a usual feature in our society. This calls for our collective efforts to find out the causes of such scenarios and the world is saying ‘the time is now!’  

Just the way we have so many physical illnesses and so are mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are greatly feared and misunderstood by many people. The best way to do away with the misconceptions and the fear of mental maladies that we have, is to simply learn and know them thoroughly. One thing we all have to bear in mind is that mental illnesses are curable and we really need to take a mentally ill person to hospital. 

 The society tends to perceive mental health disorders as something that directly emanate from the patient’s own doings and therefore people feel that such individuals deserve to be in such a condition as a consequence of their actions. The reason why the society allows to lose bright leaders of tomorrow in such a way is still an enigma which one cannot easily fathom. Some people have reached a point whereby they do not want to hear about this issue thereby forgetting that their transition from youth to adulthood was due to the efforts of some adults. 

While the problems of stigma around mental health issues have been known by mental health professionals, very little research has been done to find workable means of addressing the issues that surrounding mental illness stigma.

 

Lack of accessible mental health facilities coupled with continued stigma puts an even heavier burden on the youth. We are already troubled with the day-to-day struggles and experiences of growing up. There is need for people to realize that as young people, we go through difficult times as we are growing up and all we need is help - we need guidance. 

I would like to advocate for a new and comprehensive mental health strategy for young people. There is also a need to confront the factors that perpetrate stigmatization of people who are mentally ill and take necessary measures that can help to ensure that people with mental illnesses should feel understood and accepted. 

As we continue to promote the youth’s mental health issues, let us not stop our efforts on 12 August, but we should intensify our works. 

Together we can have youths with positive mental health!

Reflections on social injustices that are Faced by the Girl Child – Cases of Forced Marriages in Malawi

The notion that marriage is a mutual union of two individuals seems to be an evasive dream for most girls in Malawi. As a country, Malawi ranks amongst the top 10 countries where child marriages are rampant. According to the Malawi Demographic Health Survey (2010), almost 50% of the girls get married before their 18^th birthday and are often faced with a lot of coercion and intimidation that translates into emotional abuse.

Such factors increase vulnerability of young brides. They face gender based violence in each and every day of their married life. In addition to this, there are also imminent hazards that await them during child birth - obstetric complications like fistula. Furthermore, such young girls are also faced by a huge challenge of illiteracy as they get married before they even reach senior classes of their primary school education. 

Usually, the young girls do not get married out of their own free will, they are coerced to do so. This generally deprives off an individual’s right to almost everything. 

In the northern parts of Malawi there are practices like “Chitomero” (betrothal), whereby parents and families discuss marriage arrangements of a young girl without her consent let alone her knowledge. In addition to this, there is “Nthena” (Bonus wife) which is practiced in the Southern Region of Malawi, more especially in the Shire Valley whereby the most favored son-in law is given the younger sister of wife as a reward for being a good so-in-law without the bride’s consent.

Forced marriages are a threat to the development of young children who later grow into adults. It is sad to note that such harmful cultural practices continue to exist despite several efforts and interventions to abolish them. For instance, the Malawi Constitution, Chapter 22, Sub Section (4) prohibits forced marriages but most of these human rights violations go unreported. 
 

The reasons why parents and relatives of young girls still hold on to the custom of forcing young girls into marriages could be narrowed down to one or two factors- the need for material gains and  preservation of social status and what is loosely called respect. This occurs when a girl gets pregnant outside wedlock and as such the parents force her to marry the responsible man before the community realizes that she got pregnant outside marriage.

The Position of Women and Girls in 50-Year Old Independent Malawi.

The fact that 51 percent of the total population of Malawi is made up of females simply tells us that there are more males than females. However, I doubt if this fact manifests itself in our everyday endeavors.  

There are so many instances that suggest that women are disregarded by our society’s norms and customs.  This is an outright shame to Malawi as a nation that is governed by democratic principles and adheres to the profound human rights of all. If we are really serious about developing this nation, then why do we seem to be clinging to our old patriarchal ways? No one has ever justified the reason why we leave out a larger percentage of our population in many of our development efforts.

School enrollment rate and annual school dropout rates of boys and girls, you will notice that more girls drop out of school than boys and enrollment numbers are quiet high on the column of boys than that of girls. The pass rate of boys and girls in national examinations are enough to put one into a military posture of attention. It appears as if the boys had an easy syllabus when well leaned teachers than their female counterparts.

The reasons for such heartrending scenarios are simple, there are only a few who really want to see girls excelling in the society. Not many people are willing to engage themselves in the noble cause of fighting against the evils that  prevent women and girls from excelling.

People call all sorts of derogatory names to sex workers and shout sarcastic remarks as if dehumanizing them is a cure for all their problems. Nobody says hang on! Who do such women sleep around with? Every community knows who the men are but they take it as a normal thing- 'males vanquishing the females by virtue of their being males'. However, just because the partners are females, the society becomes judgmental and condemnatory.

Earnestly, gender equality is one major indicator of modernity. A civilized society is one that respects and grants equal freedoms and opportunities to all people regardless of age, skin colour, gender and what have you.

The recent tripartite elections that were held on the 20^th of May this year have also shown how far we might be away from civilization. Out of the total 193 parliamentary seats only 32 aspiring females emerged as victors while the other positions were scooped by men.  The Local Elections results were also the same as only 56 female candidates won as Ward Councillors while men got the lion’s share.

A lot of sarcastic remarks were made and some reached the point of saying women should not vie for positions because their rightful place is in the kitchen. If it were really so, why do women crowd under five clinics with their infants (some who will grow up and have the audacity of saying ‘a woman’s place is in the kitchen’) on their backs? If it were true that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, we could have been seeing men and their toddlers crowding under five clinics and women cooking in the comfort of their kitchens.

Furthermore, people should avoid generalisations, they are illogical. If a constituency or ward had a female leader who did not perform during her reign in power, does it mean all women cannot manage the mantles?

However, all is not lost because those who have won positions know how best to address the challenges which women and girls are facing. The country is expecting a lot from them; the youth, women and children have long outstanding issues that really need to be addressed and who knows better than their elected representatives?

It is high time Malawians respected the rights of women as well as girls. There is need to incorporate women and girls in all our national agendas. They too have their desires as well as aspirations and their capacity to develop this country should not be underestimated. Male chauvinism has no place in the democratic and 50 -year old independent Malawi.

Free Sexual Reproductive Health Counselling is Just a Phone Call Away

As YONECO is still cerebrating what TNM (Telecom Networks Malawi) has just done, the youth, women, children and all right minded people have all the reasons to celebrate as well.

The country’s first mobile service operator has donated a set of computers worth MK 2 million to YONECO to be used in the free toll helpline call centre. Further to this, TNM has also pledged a total of MK 4.8 million annual funding to YONECO in order to sustain the toll free helpline services.

The company has set a good example which the corporate world should emulate as Civil Society Organisations and the government work towards the betterment of all people in Malawi.

YONECO’s Tithandizane National Helpline Service provides necessary and rapid support to abused children and women at different levels. Young people can also access counselling on issues pertaining to their sex and sexuality as well as HIV and AIDS counselling.

My emphasis on this issue in this entry   is on the youth of Malawi. The vulnerability of all individuals who are in this age bracket needs no emphasis. Just for the record, the millennium youth are in a fix due to certain changes which have occurred in our society over the last few decades. This has greatly affected the channels through which young people used to get information on issues pertaining to their sexuality in Malawi.

Gone are the days when adolescent boys and girls were sent to their uncles, aunts or grandparents for some sex and sexuality orations soon after reaching puberty. The implication is that today’s young people are relying on half-truths if not outright lies relayed by their peers. These are also young people who have no knowledge or experience on matters of sexual reproductive health.

For precision’s sake, young people have limited opportunities when it comes to getting reliable and alternative sources of information regarding their sexual reproductive lives. The upshots of this sad scenario are very catastrophic as manifested in the shocking numbers of teen age pregnancies and all the attendant problems like obstetric fistula, the country’s teen HIV prevalence rate and teen marriages.

Now, YONECO and TNM have come in to fill the information gap whereby young people, who are usually shy of getting face to face advice from reliable sources, can easily make an anonymous call to YONECO’ toll free line and get all the necessary help they may need. YONECO’s National Helpline Service has experienced and well trained counsellors who are capable of, among other things, offering reliable counselling sessions on issues concerning sexual reproductive health of young people.

Furthermore, I would like to emphasise that the service is not just for young people! When you are in need of counselling, do not falter to call 8000 1234.

African Child Day: As we go Towards Compulsory Education in the Continent of Africa

Every year on the 16^th of June is the African Child Day; the day came into being in memory of children who were killed in the Republic of South Africa in their pursuit for democracy and independence from the Apartheid regime. The commemoration brings together all Civil Society Organisations, more especially those that that are involved in child protection, and governments to reaffirm their commitment to the welfare of children.

The Day is celebrated by all African Union (AU) member States .This year’s commemoration will be celebrated under the theme; A child friendly, quality and compulsory education for all children in Africa.
 

According to the AU, although most African countries are working hard to empower and enhance children’s rights, there is still a gap in terms of the education of children in the continent. Education plays a major role in the development of an individual and the society as whole. This greatly informs and reminds African countries that they have an obligation to provide quality education to children. There is need to create an enabling environment for children to learn and education should also be free and compulsory to all African children. 

There are so many factors that impinge children from exercising their right to education. For instance, most Malawian public schools lack necessary teaching and learning materials. The case is overwhelmingly serious in rural public schools and illiteracy levels of people in such rural communities are also very high. The number of teachers does not, in any way, match the number of learners and a lot has to be done in terms of providing other resources and infrastructures like class rooms, sanitary facilities as well as portable drinking water for the learners.

As we commemorate the Day of the African Child, governments should remember that all learners have strengths and challenges. It is, therefore, the governments’ role to make sure that such challenges are overcome and that each individual student’s capabilities are nurtured to fruition. What African governments should know is that compulsory education, to a greater extent, entails an increase in enrollment and this means that teaching and learning resources and materials will also be needed in huge and abundant supplies. For a society to develop, it must sustainably support and invest in the education of its young ones.

All in all, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the quality of education is good and free. In light of the recent Boko Haram abduction of innocent school children in Nigeria, my call to all governments is that they need to make sure that the education systems are child friendly in safe and secure learning environments.

Gender Equality and Women Empowerment: Are we Making Progress?

For so many decades, much has been said that the world needs and should promote gender equality. However, it seems not much progress has made on this in many societies. Men and women should have equal opportunities and we should all remember that no sex is inferior to another.

Gender inequality has led to vulnerability as well as high illiteracy levels among girls and women and it has also stagnated economic development. Women are as capable as men and there is no point in frustrating their efforts to participate fully in the development of their communities.

For instance, in the just ended tripartite elections in Malawi, the 50-50 Gender Campaign has not yielded the expected outcomes. According to unofficial results that were being announced, women who contested have not done well in the election. This is mainly attributed to the patriarchal nature of most communities whereby people do not believe that women are capable of handling the mantle.It is heartrending to note that Malawi will, on 6^th July 2014, mark 50 years of independence but women are not independent and they are raging behind their male counterparts.

As earlier stated, gender equality and women empowerment agenda has been talked about for so many decades. The question is; are we really making progress towards achieving it? Let us move the talk to real empowerment of women and girls. It is also the duty of governments, Civil Society Organisations and all individuals to work tirelessly in promoting gender equality.                                        

Implementation of National Youth Policy and SRH & R in Malawi

Since the National Youth Policy of Malawi (2013) was gazetted, not much has been done on the ground in terms of implementation of the provisions that are enshrined in the policy. Among them, the provision of Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) is one of the key priority areas in the newly launched National Youth Policy. However, not much is being done on the ground to fulfill this.

Public health centres and hospitals are required to have youth friendly health corners where young people should go and freely access services. Most adolescents in Malawi face sexual and reproductive health problems simply because they were, at a certain point in time, not provided with the necessary services. 

Lack of SRH information services in general has resulted into an increase of the total number of young boys and girls who have been faced with early pregnancies, STIs including HIV/ AIDS and other SRH problems. Malawi is also faced by the problem of child marriages and this is mainly a consequence of the scarcity of SRH and R information and services.

Most young people drop out of school because of pregnancy. These are scenarios whereby a boy impregnates a girl and the option they choose is to drop out of school get some jobs to support the child who is usually followed by other siblings. This is exactly what constantly compromises the health of the girl and the children she bears.

Furthermore, some girls find themselves marrying an older man because they were forced to by their parents. Such scenarios are avoidable only when the girls know their sexual reproductive health rights and the consequences of early pregnancies.

Now that Malawi has a strong legal framework that is capable of protecting and enhancing sexual reproductive health and rights of all the youth, there is need to implement and make sure that  the laws and policies are really achieving their intended purposes.