Students from Iponga Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Karonga District have underscored relevance of safe spaces in schools emphasizing that they are key in ending Sexual Gender Based Violence and abuses in schools.
The students made the remarks following a two day mentorship program from Saturday to Sunday on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) package, SGBV referral system and safe space management at the school.
One of the students that participated, Chimwemwe Gondwe highlighted that through safe spaces, girls will have a platform to report challenges pertaining to SGBV while at school and take part in building peace.
“Creation of safe spaces here has given us a platform to freely speak out on SGBV and know the referral system when we face challenges, through this we will also be taking an active role in peace building discussions,” Gondwe said.
She has since pointed out that this has also empowered them to recognize sexual exploitation and now they know how to report cases of such abuses.
One of the teachers, Temwa Zachariah who was present at the mentorship program highlighted that the project is timely as girls face a lot of challenges taking it that the school is close to Malawi Tanzania border.
“This program has come at the right time because girls face a lot of challenges so now girls will be able to speak out challenges and know the pathway to report such things to authorities through safe spaces that have been created,” she said.
Karonga District Gender Development Officer, Ireen Mwenelupembe pointed out that the mentorship program will help the adolescents at Iponga to redefine their positions in the society.
“This training is very important as it will help these girls redefine their positions in societies and hence communities will start recognizing them and giving them space to actively participate in peace building activities,” Mwenelupembe said.
She further added that the training has capacitated the girls to take the message of peace across that as girls they have space in communities to actively participate in peace building.
Programs Manager for Pamoza Tingakwaniska, Gomezgani Mhango, said with the mentorship, the organization expects these adolescents to be able to report any SGBV that they or any of the girls here will face.
“Through this mentorship program that we have conducted for two days, we expect them to be youths who will be active and have a say in peace building discussions and when they face an abuse they should be able to report,” Mhango said.
Safe spaces are not necessarily physical enclosed places, rather they are places that a group of same age range can meet and discuss freely what they face and help each other in finding solutions.
The organization conducted the mentorship program under a peace building project with financial support from UNFPA through Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment (FOCESE).
