Temwa’s new project aims to reduce young people’s vulnerability to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks, including early marriage, unsafe abortion, contraction of HIV, teenage pregnancies and STIs.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Young people living in remote communities in Malawi can’t access health and rights services due to inadequate resourcing. Local governance structures are not ensuring national policies and laws on SRHR are implemented properly. Subsequently, 50% of adolescent girls are married before the age of 18, with teenage pregnancies at 29%, and 1/5 girls experience sexual abuse before aged 18 (UNICEF, 2020), and around 1/3 of new HIV infections in 2020 were among young people aged 15-24 (UNICEF, 2021).
Solution
32 new youth clubs will educate young people on SRH risks so that they can make informed decisions about their health and rights. We will empower them to challenge harmful cultural norms and misconceptions, supported by a community-wide awareness campaign. We will improve the capacity of all five health centres in Nkhata Bay North to deliver SRHR services for young people and we will also create platforms for young people to advocate for these services and their rights at a government level.