Tikondwe Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Zomba has urged girl learners on holiday to ensure they return to school once the break is over, rather than being distracted by cultural initiations that can disrupt their education.
Esther Nkumbira, Tikondwe CBO’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, made the appeal at Kanjedza Primary School in Group Village Head Machinjiri, Senior Chief Malemia’s area, during an event where the CBO brought various professional role models to interact with the girls about the importance of education.
Female police officers, nurses, and officials from Domasi College of Education were among the role models who gave motivational talks, encouraging the girls to stay in school.
In addition to the role modeling at Kanjedza School, Nkumbira mentioned that the CBO will also engage parents and guardians to motivate their children to remain in school and focus on their education, emphasizing that education is key to a brighter future.
“We want to ensure that all girls return to school when it starts in September. Let chiefs enforce by-laws on child marriages,” she said.
One of the role models, Constable Julien Masamba from Domasi Police Unit, urged girls to stay in school to achieve their dream jobs and advised them not to be distracted by love affairs at the expense of their future.
Florah Khayako, a nurse from Domasi Rural Hospital, cautioned girls against early pregnancies, noting that they can cause complications during delivery and even lead to death.
Kanjedza School Headteacher, Lyson Kaombe, thanked Tikondwe CBO for organizing the role modeling session for the girls.
In addition to the role modeling, the CBO provided exercise books and writing pens to learners who excelled in the end-of-term tests.
Tikondwe CBO focuses on ending child marriages in Senior Chief Malemia’s area, with financial support from Firelight Foundation.
