Stimulated by increased teen pregnancies that contribute to child marriage and fuel school drop-outs within the Malembo lakeshore community in Mangochi district, young people from this area got involved in a youth week of activism aimed at driving desired change at the grassroots.
Over a hundred empowered activists from affiliated youth clubs under the Malembo Youth Network mobilized themselves to a week-long implementation of socially significant community developmental projects while petitioning their duty-bearers to publicly sign a social contract and commit to be accountable to their demands of a child-marriage free society that values girls’ education.
CYECE, in its youth programming adapted from the concept and innovatively crafted a thematically organized advocacy activity that is spiced with activism as an innovative way to create a community enabling environment which ensures that girls in Mangochi district complete their education and are leading healthy and empowered lives.
Previously, before the IM-funded RISA Project in the area, young people were not very much aware of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and could not even have the needed courage to demand desired changes around youth SRHR services access,challenging harmful cultural practices including child marriage and other sexual gender based violence in their communities. The youth clubs were operating in a society whose developmental structures including moral duty bearers could not create a more conducive community environment for girls’ SRHR and education. Their various efforts in their respective communities dwell around devising innovative ways on how to make their areas the kind of society they want: child marriage free.
Their week-long clean-up works began from the Malembo Health Centre, providing a platform for a successful campaign towards youth access to quality health services. And, next was road works connecting the health facility and communities around Malembo Primary School and a market near the Lake Malawi shores to improve access to various social services including health, child protection and education. Their demand was: “we want meaningful youth involvement in developmental works and anyone using this road shall desist from violating young people’s sexual and reproductive health and education rights.”
When next they dug a waste pit at the Malembo Primary School, they advocated for a safe school environment where learners, teachers and members of various school governance structures were engaged.
In addition, they also visited Malembo market where they were digging a waste pit, demanding an end to sexual exploitation of adolescent girls and young women by businesspersons and fishermen and appealing for support towards youth development initiatives and girls’ education.
“This generation of young people is teaching us an important lesson with what they are doing, most adults think that youth do not value participation in development initiatives but what young people of Malembo Youth Network are doing is proving this perception wrong,” said Area Development Committee Chairperson,Herbert Chimimba
Attracting masses on their way,the youth activists drove their last nail home on the fifth day of their activism by conducting a solidarity march from Malembo Market to Group Village Headman Matekwe. He welcomed the youth activists with an appeal to his subjects emphasizing that sensible adults need to be wise and humble enough to listen to the voice of the youth. “I am inspired by their courage and commitment to mobilize together to declare child marriage as illegal and socially unacceptable in this community. I’m committing to encourage our business and fishing communities to work with the youth as agents of change.”
Addressing the anxious audience, Malembo Youth Network leader, Thokozani Mukhondya read the Commitment Form as their social contract with leaders and a petition to all.She said they believe that silence has never been a solutionto persistent community challenges and emphasized that a democratic society cannot develop without the increased civic activity of young people.
Before appending his signature to the A-3 Commitment Form,Group Village Headman Matekwe publicly attested its authenticity and indicating that its contents met his approval.He said that he was impressed with the youth-led initiatives and was ready to support their course.
“Your demands are sound, and, I, as your chief, am duty-bound to commit that we, community leaders, shall tirelessly facilitate implementation of efforts that would respond to these demands. We are satisfied with your developmental contributions in all the sites you have worked throughout the week and I stand by your vision of a child- marriage-free-Malembo,” said Matekwe amidst youth morale.
Apart from Group Village Headman Matekwe, the social contract was also signed by Health and Child Protection Workers, Members of Community Policing, Community Development, Beach Village and School Governance Structures, Businesspersons, Parents, Learners and Youth Network Leaders.
The Commitment Form, CYECE jointly developed with the active participation of youth leaders depicts demands to leaders and service providers to provide quality health,child protection,economic empowerment and education services to adolescent girls,boys and young women. It shall remain as a critical social contract between right-holders and duty-bearers and a strategic tool to advocate for an informed society where children’s and young people’s rights are realized and safeguarded.
Since 2019, the 5-year (2019-2023) IM Swedish Development Partner-funded CYECE’s Rise Up, Speak Out and Act Against Child Marriage project, partnered with Malembo Youth Network and its 36 affiliated youth clubs, sensitizing young people and communities on youth sexual and reproductive health and rights, harmful impacts of child marriage and the significance of girls’ education.