Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth Organization in Karonga has partnered with mobile service provider Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) plc to disseminate Sexual Reproductive Health information through bulk messaging in an effort to increase demand and uptake of family planning services in Karonga and Chitipa.
In an interview, Programs Manager for the Organization Gomezani Mhango, disclosed that the sending of 50 thousand (bulk messages) weekly SRH texts will run from February to December 2023.
Adding that among others the weekly SRH texts are meant to raise awareness of the youths’ SRH rights and as well as mobilizing community leaders and parents.
“Our aim of sending out these texts is that we hope to increase awareness, demand, and uptake of family planning services among the youth and the communities as the uptake and demand for these services still remains low in our communities and among youths especially,” she said.
Mhango further said apart from increasing awareness of SRH services they hope to reach out to parents and guardians that they should embrace talking to their children on sexuality issues as one way of fighting against teen pregnancies and school dropouts.
Commenting on the matter one of the youths at Chilumba in the area of Traditional Authority Wasambo in Karonga Suzzana Chavula, observed the sending out of weekly SRH texts will have a significant impact on the young people as they are often too shy to seek SRHR-related information as a result end up making wrong choices on family planning services.
On his part, Ishmel Jeri Patron for the Organization at Ngala Community Day Secondary School in Karonga, hailed the organization for rolling out several initiatives that will enable the youths to use their God-given talents while providing assistance and prevention services through the outreach clinics that Pamoza rolled out.
“There are a number of initiatives like talent exhibitions and essay writing competitions that the organization has lined up that should excite and motivate our school-going youths to continue working hard in school and stay away from harmful practices that would destroy their future,” Jeri Explained.
With funding from Breuckmann Foundation and the German government’s federal ministry for economic cooperation and development the organization from July 2022 to December 2023 is carrying out Wanangwa wane project in Traditional Authority Wasambo in Karonga and Mwenewenya in Chitipa Districts.
