Zambia: Children in the Eastern Province of Zambia are asking the government to increase boarding facilities for regional schools. One of the children, Lezinah Mvula, came forward to register her concern about the lack of institutions offering weekly boarding.
She said this has had a detrimental effect on the pupils, especially the girl child.
Mvula explains that the effects were academic but also social and physical. She believes that many children, especially the girl child, are exposed to teen pregnancies and early marriages in the region.
The aggrieved girl-child spoke in Katete during the International Children’s Day commemorations. The event was hosted under the theme: ‘Renewing our promise for children’s rights.’
“Some of our friends rent houses as weekly boarders. This has resulted in early pregnancies and early marriages.” She claimed
“More so, there is no security for them in these boarding facilities, especially for the girl child. We are therefore appealing to the government to consider building dormitories in all the schools with weekly boarders,” she said.
Mvula also added that the students needed more boarding secondary schools to accommodate the huge number of learners who wanted to attend boarding schools.
In response, Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Beauty Phiri assured the children that it was its priority. According to her, the government will ensure that it looked into their plight.
“We have heard the challenges you have given us, and we are going to sit with the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) and many others to find a lasting solution for the weekly boarding,” he said.
Afterwards, Phiri also took time to counsel the children on early sex debut and the dangers of indulging in sex as children.
“You children standing in front of me, the characteristics of your lives in this age and era has changed. We are seeing so many young people engaging in illicit sex.” She claimed
“We have stopped what we used to do when we were young when we used to say abstinence ili che. What you see on social media, you think that’s how life should be.
“Let us teach each other about HIV. It is better to abstain than saying that you will take a pill. We are asking you, your education matters, your lives matter, kindly make sure you abstain if you cannot use a condom,” she said.
In line with this, Save the Children Zambia Programs Manager Richard Kalyata also spoke to protect children. He said his institution was implementing various programmes to enhance children’s rights. This will allow them to tackle discrimination and inequalities among children.
“Save the Children is also implementing child protection, education and adolescent sexual reproductive programmes across the Eastern Province.
It is also undertaking programmes to tackle discriminations and inequalities among children by adopting an approach that is grounded in human rights and child rights principles,” he said.
Meanwhile, chief Mbang’ombe of the Chewa people of Katete and Sinda Districts who was represented by Induana Gwabale Two, reiterated the traditional leadership’s commitment to ensuring the protection and safeguarding of children’s rights.
“The traditional leadership in partnership with government have been fighting child marriages and teen pregnancies so that our children can be protected from teen pregnancies and child marriage.
Further, the priority is to see that children are taken back to school. The traditional leadership is assuring that it will continue to work together with government,” he said.
