HOPE in schools project for informed AGYW
Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi in partnership with the National AIDS Commission (NAC) is implementing a Hope in Schools project called Creating Space for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) to Access Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services. It aims at promoting adolescent girls and young women to be assertive and understand their rights when making reproductive health related decisions.
The project runs for 12 months and is targeting 600 AGYW, as direct beneficiaries, in 10 tertiary education institutions and 30 private secondary schools and 6000 indirect beneficiaries in Mulanje and Thyolo districts.
On 24th January 2018, DAPP Malawi and NAC jointly organised an Open Day in Thyolo district with an aim of encouraging youth to patronize health services.
The event took place at Ligowe private secondary school and was graced by the District Health Officer for Thyolo Dr Arnold Jumbe. Dr Jumbe led the touring of the exhibitions where DAPP showcased different activities which have been carried out in the project and other projects being implemented in the district.
Among the key personnel that attended the function were the DAPP Malawi Country Director Lisbeth Thomsen, NAC Programs Manager Chimwemwe Mablekis and the Eastern Division Education Director Chris Sogolani.
In her speech, the DAPP Malawi’s Country Director encouraged both young women and girls to continue taking active roles in the project together with the parents, teachers, head teachers and matrons who supporting them.
“We would like to see a new generation of young girls and women making informed choices about their life and completing their education even going further than secondary and tertiary education, and become influential young people where ever they go – and therefore contribute to the development of Malawi and sustaining their life and the life of their families,” she emphasized.
The Programs Manager NAC called on youth to utilize the Youth Friendly health services and demand information from authorities in order to reduce new infections among the group.
The Hope in Schools project is working with private secondary schools and tertiary education institutions from 10 education zones in Thyolo district which are; Mtambanyama, Chisawani, Lutchenza, Mpinji, Lutchenza, Khonjeni, Thekerani, Thunga, Goliati and Molele within Traditional Authorities of Bvumbwe, Khwethemule, Chimaliro, Mchiramwera, Nsabwe, Kapichi and Ngolongoliwa. In Mulanje, the project is working in the following education zones; Chitakale, Ulongwe, Masubi, Mombo and Limbuli within Traditional Authorities of Chikumbu, Njema, Nthiramanja and Mabuka.
