Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) has managed to rescue about 171 girls from child marriage through girl’s mentorship program.
The program which was implemented in Nkhatabay has been describe as successful, as it has helped withdraw girls from marriages and bring them back to school.
The sentiment has been made during a one-day program review meeting with mentors and the program`s focal persons.
GENET Project Coordinator Juliet Msosa ha said that the girls have been re-enrolled in different secondary schools with support from spotlight initiative.
However, Msosa appealed to government for a continued support to the girls to see them completing their secondary education as Spotlight initiative is phasing out in June this year.
The program is being implemented in three phases in nine Traditional Authorities in Nkhata Bay and has so far trained 84 safe space mentors who facilitate discussions on a number of issues which affect girls in their daily lives.
One of the mentors Eunice Mphande commended the program saying that it has helped a lot of girls to speak out and receive required attention from various authorities.
Focal person for the mentorship program Fatima Banda has said that the program has helped reduce gender-based violence and child marriages in the district and has empowered gender-based violence survivors through survivors’ fund, among others.
Girls’ mentorship program is implemented by GENET with funding from Spotlight Initiative with the aim of eliminating gender based violence.
