World Vision Opens Girls Forum in Malawi
Girls participating in Malawi’s first ever Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Learning Forum have appealed to development partners to put them at the centre of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Speaking at the launch of a three-day Learning Forum organized by World Vision in Malawi, Maria Chavula revealed that coordinated efforts of girls in the country have impacted nearly 100,000 girls with information on gender-based violence, screening of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV as well as ending child marriage.
“As girls, we need more economic empowerment programmes to pursue education and achieve our dreams”, appealed Maria, a first year Horticulture Student at the Natural Resources College in Lilongwe.
The forum has been organized to take stock of young people’s involvement, experiences and contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Officially launching the forum, Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda, formerly a World Vision Malawi staff, appealed to the Peer Ambassadors attending the conference to remain vigilant and stand up for their fellows going through abuse.
While the government and its development partners are enacting policies to spearhead the fight against HIV/AIDS, Chimwendo Banda noted that young people need to embrace the fight and lead from the front.
“The fight against HIV and AIDS is in your hands. As an old person, I can’t go to your peers to tell them about HIV and its prevention. But you can do it. You know their where they are found. You know their language”, said Chimwendo.
While thanking World Vision and her partner organisations for the work being done across Mangochi, Thyolo, Mulanje and Lilongwe, Chimwendo asked for more.
“We need these teen-tailored initiatives to continue to meet the unique needs of adolescents living with HIV and thereby increasing their adherence to treatment and achieve viral suppression”, he said.
In his remarks, World Vision Malawi’s National Director, Francis Dube, said the forum will also provide the Malawi government and development partners with a unique opportunity to reflect and scale up youth involvement in eliminating HIV/AIDS.
“Malawi has implemented different pro-youth interventions aimed at reducing the HIV prevalence rate for years now”, started Dube.
“While we’ve registered great milestones towards HIV epidemic control, a disparity due to gender differences remains a challenge for Malawi and we must work together to close the gap”, added Dube.
World Vision Malawi is a Global Fund principal recipient of resources fighting HIV, TB and Malaria.
Since 2021, the AGYW project has impacted over 165,000 girls and young women with HIV prevention programs including GBV Screening and Management, Sexual reproductive health and rights (SRH&R), Comprehensive Sexuality Education & Social Assistance Building and Back to school programs in the Global Fund impact districts.
The forum has brought together around 200 Peer Ambassadors from Lilongwe Peri Urban, Mangochi, Mulanje and Thyolo districts.
All interventions are being implemented through World Vision’s partners including ActionAid Malawi, Girls Empowerment Network, Plan International Malawi and Pakachere Institute for Health and Development Communication.
By Charles Kabena, Communications and Public Engagement Manager