NGO work cheer traditional leaders

TRADITIONAL leaders in Chief Mbang’ombe’s chiefdom in Katete district are happy that a non-governmental organisation Society for Women And AIDS in Zambia (SWAAZ) is working with traditional leaders to fight early marriages and teenage pregnancies amongst young girls.

Speaking during a meeting that was held at Reuben’s village last week Wednesday headwoman Reuben, Gertrude Mwanza called on the non-governmental organisations to help in sensitizing the rural communities on the need to value education as opposed to giving priority to early marriages and lifestyles that led to teenage pregnancies.

Ms Mwanza said it was imperative that girls who become pregnant whilst at school were encouraged to go back to school as uneducated people found it difficult to adequately interact in the modern world.

Meanwhile Headman Funsani, Deusi Munza blamed early marriages and teenage pregnancies on poverty, ignorance and wrong application of initiation customs from parents.

“We are grateful that the people of SWAAZ have taken time to sensitize us about the importance of keeping girls and boys in school,” headman Funsani said.

He noted that parents needed to have adequate knowledge on the importance of education and also avoid taking young girls and boys into initiation ceremonies like Chinamwali for girls and Gule Mwamukulu for boys.

Headman Funsani also said cattle herding was one of the reasons why the young boys were not being educated because they spent a lot of their time in the field and did not have time for school.