Mpezeni men call for early distribution of contraceptives among girls

SENIOR men in Chitaza Village under Chief Mpezeni have challenged women to encourage girls below the age of 12years to start taking contraceptive pills to tone down on early marriages which has remained high in the Eastern Province.

A snappy overview reveals that in Chief Mpezeni women are highly restricted to assume inÀuential roles owning it to high burden of early marriages.

And this has forced the province to top the country records on reported cases of school drop outs among girls and a high ratoon of child mortality.

Speaking on the sidelines of a “gender in value chain training workshop” orgainised by Community Market for Conservation (COMACO), John Phiri a senior villager in Chitaza said women were answerable for girls contracting pregnancies earlier than projected time as they are highly expected to be close to the girl child

“Women are to blame for having our girls failing to complete school which has made them total failures in life this is because they spend a lot more time with them than with their us their fathers,” He said.

Mr. Phiri explained that as a local villager he was cultured to think of it being a mother’ responsibility to ensure that a girls were tamed in considering preventive advise so that families were not embarrased.

"The girl is better advised by aunties and morhwr than it has to be by the father.

"To arm and empowered the girlchild in as a way of helping her face the world in confidence, mother by nature should take the responsible role of reach them on how to use contraceptives at households.

"Seeming out out of reach from of our cultural rules as custodian we should belive that this will be of great help."

Sex education and distriburion of condoms in school remains a contentious issues. But could he East and other province grappling with early marriages across the country.

A snappy overview has shown that a few girls were able to assume indluential positions while majority skills in Chief Mpezeni's chiefsdom were imported from other cities and districts .

One Aaron Lungu said dressing and apoearance was one such a deceiving factor causing most girls to fall prey.

He said there was need to deter women to respwct the culture and value in the Zambian tradition as it was key in preserving ubuntu.

But Marble Zulu a principal lead farmer under COMACO in Mpezeni chiefdom admitted on the need to defy tradition and ciltural norms to preserve the future life of a girl child.

"It has been a great challenge for our community to witness development brought in by our own girls.

"It appears that promoting use of contraceptives among girls would deliver to us a new life line for our girls and growth of our communities, it's time for us to accept re coming changes."

Use of contraceptives would not come without effect a as this comws with a wide range od side efffects such headache, high blood preaure, abnomal weight gain among other in the wake of Chitaza village long awaits new generation of women stewards.