By Pamela Inambao
Chief Lundu of the Senga speaking people of Chama District - Picture by Pamela Inambao
Every child has the right to a safe, formal, quality
education and access to lifelong learning. However, due to a combination of
factors, many girls in rural communities are forced to leave school while
others never have the opportunity to go to school.
Schools are spaces in which girls exercise their agency,
make their voices heard and access their first leadership opportunities.
It is a known fact that as a result of gender inequality
in education, girls are denied the chance to develop skills that can help them
take charge in their homes, careers, communities and the country as a whole.
The introduction of the Re-entry policy by the Patriotic
Front (PF) Government under the able Leadership of President Edgar Lungu, must
be commended by all well-meaning Zambians as it has provided thousands of girls
across the nation with safe, quality and gender transformative education. Because
of this policy, young women can find their voices and learn to lead after
making several mistakes in their life.
In Chief Lundus’ Chiefdom, 51 girls have been retrieved
from marriages and with support from India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) the
girls have been sponsored with school materials to continue with their studies.
Among the school materials that the girls received are
school uniforms, school shoes, books and bicycles.
Assorted school items meant for the beneficiaries
The IBSA organization has also paid tuition fees for all
the 51 girls until they complete their grade 12.
And Chief Lundu of the Senga speaking people of Chama
District in Muchinga Province is elated with this development.
The Chief has since thanked President Lungu and his Government
as well as IBSA organisation for such a thoughtful development which will
reduce poverty in communities through the IBSA programme.
The Chief said early marriages, teenage pregnancies and
girls dropping out of school are among the serious problems threatening the
country’s socio-economic status and public health.
“There can be no better policy any government can offer
to its people than sending a girl child marriage survivor back to school
completely at no cost,” he says.
Early marriages and teenage pregnancies are indeed a menace
to every true leader who has a vision to develop communities and the nation as
the vice is the source of street kids, theft, prostitution, homelessness and
miserable lives.
Chief Lundu further thanked President Edgar Lungu and his
hard working pro-poor Government and its cooperating partners for demonstrating
what real love is all about, a gesture he says should be emulated by others and
guarded jealousy.
The Traditional Leader notes that there are a number of
girls in his chiefdom that have dropped out of school and have opted to get
into marriages, a thing that is affecting their living standards and welfare.
He adds that the retrieval of the 51 girls from marriages
and to allow them go back to school will help uplift their living standards as
they further there studies.
”Recognising the fact that protecting and fulfilling the
rights of women and girls as chiefs in our various chiefdoms and Districts is
surely cardinal to actualizing inclusive and sustainable development in our
country, ” the Chief said.
Chief Lundu states that with concerted action and good
leadership as shown by President Lungu and his Government, meaningful progress
towards promoting women’s rights, ending violence against women, ending child
marriages and all forms of discrimination against women in Zambia can be
achieved.
The Traditional Leader said this recently during the
handover of the school requisites at Lundu Day Secondary School.
And India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Coordinator
Catherine Mundunda says the aim of the organisation is to give a second chance
to girls so that they can be readmitted in school and do better for their
future.
Ms. Mundunda said the organisation is aware that girls
are vulnerable to a lot of bad vices that cut their education life
prematurely.
"So this programme has come to help those girls who wish to go back to school and in helping them to settle in school, they are going to receive school requisites which among them include bicycles,” she adds.
IBSA beneficiaries, teachers from Lundu
Primary and Secondary Schools and IBSA Coordinator pose for a picture
The IBSA coordinator has also warned that the bicycles
will be reposessed if the beneficiary girl chooses to stop school again and be given
to serious ones.
”Am aware of some girls who are pushed into marriage as a
way of getting rid of them by their parents while others have no sponsorship
hence they opt to get married, ” she says.
Ms. Mundunda is hopeful that the 51 girls will be able to
achieve their goals and live a better life after passing through difficult
situations.
And speaking on behalf of other marriage survivors,
Blessings Muleta thanked Government for the assorted school items.
Blessings is also grateful to all the IBSA stakeholders
initiative for sacrificing resources for the plight of the rural girl children
who are the most vulnerable to unwanted teenage pregnancies and early
marriages.
"We promise that as beneficiaries we will never
disappoint Governments and IBSA organisation. We will make sure we work hard
and live a better life in future, "she assures.
Grace Silomba, another beneficiary who had been
married for four years with one child says she will not repeat what she did
because she passed through a lot.
”I was in marriage for four years and my husband was not
taking care of me even when I became pregnant and gave birth, ” she lamented.
Grace adds that after she gave birth, her prayer was
to leave marriage and get back to school a dream which has come true for her
through IBSA.
“I am glad that IBSA has come to my aid. I will make sure
I concentrate on my studies. After I complete my grade 12, I want to study
nursing,” she adds.
She further called on other girls who are in marriage to
seek for help from various organisations adding that there is always a second
chance for them to leave a better life.
10 bicycles were also given to the girls that stay far
from Lunda Day Secondary school to ease their movements.
It is hoped that the beneficiaries who have been given a
second chance to be in school at a zero cost will learn from their past
experiences outside school by jealously guarding the rare opportunity and work
hard to secure their future. Early marriages hinder girl child education rights
and persisting this custom is not only retrogressive but also against the Law
of Zambia.
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