Authorities in Ntchisi are reporting that there has been a significant decline in cases of school dropouts, early marriages and pregnancies, thanks to the N’zatonse Project.
The Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) is implementing the project with financial support from the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW), amounting to $2,859,037.
MAM Ntchisi Project Coordinator, Francis Nyasulu, told journalists on a tour last week that the district has registered significant improvements in access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services for adolescent girls and young women following the introduction of the project.
Nyasulu said the project’s primary goal is to ensure that youth, aged 10 to 24, have access to SRHR services. But the youth have considered pig rearing as an income generating activity to sustain their project activities and income.
“We’re implementing the project in 12 traditional authorities (TAs) with 45 youth clubs, enhancing SRHR access by engaging religious leaders, government officials, and community stakeholders. The initiative addresses various health-related issues, including governance, service delivery, accountability, and social behavior change,” he said.
Nyasulu stated that the project’s focus on genuine youth participation and leadership, empowering young people to understand and advocate for their SRHR needs, as well as fostering community mobilization.
“We have seen the Zafika Youth Club successfully rearing pigs, which serves as a sustainable intervention for replicating SRHR messages within their clubs. This approach helps mobilize youth to ensure they receive essential information about social behavior change and communication interventions,” he said.
He added that the project aims to unravel religious, social, and cultural barriers that hinder youth access to SRHR services.
Halison Phiri, Treasurer of Zafika Youth Clubs from Chipokosa Village, expressed gratitude for the N’zatonse project, stating that the youth are now benefiting from pig rearing, which has allowed them to explore various business ventures.
“Before the project, I had no vision, but now, after joining the Zafika Youth Clubs, we can share profits from our pig businesses. I am now an agent here in Chipokosa Village,” said Phiri.
Omega Kachingwe, a mentor at the Chitete Youth Club Netball Clinic, praised the project for reducing early marriages, pregnancies among young women, and premature deaths in the district.
Kachingwe noted that the Netball Clinic mobilizes youth clubs from different villages to disseminate accurate information about SRHR services and family planning methods, resulting in lower school dropout rates and sexually transmitted diseases among youth.
The project is also being implemented in collaboration with other organizations, including Population Services International, NCA-DCA Malawi Joint Country Programme, and the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM)
