Youths in Mzimba District have been warned against flirting with road contractors working on the rehabilitation of M1 Road to avoid falling prey to sexually transmitted infections and avoid getting unwanted pregnancies.
Coordinator for Ideal Consulting and Business Services Company, Derek Chiwanda issued the warning on Wednesday during an HIV and Aids and communicable disease awareness campaign for out of school youths held at Luviri Trading Centre in Traditional Authority Mzikubola in Mzimba.
Chiwanda said most people in areas where construction works are taking place tend to fall in relationships with strangers working on various projects.
‘‘It’s the same with construction works of the M1 Road. There are Zimbabweans, Zambians and various people who have come to work. Most of these people left their families behind where they came from to come and work here,” Chiwanda said.
‘‘Villagers could fall for them when they don’t even know their statuses hence our awareness campaigns aim at warning them about such relationships with strangers to prevent spread of diseases,” he added.
He said it’s very risky to mess around with strangers who would leave after the completion of the project.
‘‘Our company was hired as part of the road construction project to ensure we create awareness on the possibility of HIV and AIDS transmission and also on communicable diseases as the construction of the roads is underway. We are here to raise awareness on the dangers of flirting with strangers to stop the spread of diseases,” added Chiwanda.
He cited cases of babies born in communities where construction works have taken place.
Group Village Headman Zawagumbo said the meeting with the youths was timely as the youths are the most vulnerable group of people that is easily taken up by events.
“Some of these contractors could be promising them good things like phones or offering them money but in the end they risk catching various diseases and for girls they risk getting pregnancies as well,” said Zawagumbo.
In an interview 24-year-old Chauncy Chirwa from Yosefe village in Group Village headman Zawagumbo appealed to her fellow girls to think beyond gifts that some workers on such projects as road construction give to coax girls into relations.
“Most of these relations are just for short time but the risks could be tenfold. I ask my fellow youths to think about the consequences of diseases and pregnancies before falling into these relationships,” she said.
A representative for Mzimba District Youth Office, Yvone Chiwere urged the youths to be vigilant against those working on construction projects.
‘‘They could be promising you a lot in terms of money but know that such things will end up as a bait that will ruin your life. Say no to people you know little about to safeguard your lives,” said Chiwere.
Ideal Consulting and Business Services are working on creating awareness with communities on various diseases on stretch of the M1 Road from Jenda to Mzimba Turn Off where Unik Construction is doing rehabilitation works.
