Chief Sokontwe Calls for Educational Support for Early Marriage Survivors
By Linda Mupemo
Chief Sokontwe |
Chief Sokontwe of
the Ushi speaking people in Milenge district of Luapula province has called on
organisations engaged in fighting early marriages to consider sponsoring early
marriage survivors to school.
Chief Sokontwe noted that some girls
are forced into early marriages due to lack of financial resources to meet
their school needs.
Chief Sokontwe stated that if the
potential of the girl child is to be fully realised, there is need to include a
component of educational support in interventions targeted at eradicating early
marriages.
"Some girls
are intelligent and have the desire to get educated. However, some parents
force them into early marriages for economic reasons, hoping their husbands can
take care of them," he said.
The Traditional
Leader added that he has been working with a number of stakeholders in
the fight against early marriages in his chiefdom.
He observed that
most of the programmes aimed at eradicating the scourge do not come with
empowerment hence the survivors are at risk of returning to their
marriages.
" Most families are literally
financially incapacitated. Even if we rescue the girls from early
marriages, if there are no financial resources for their educational needs,
these girls are likely to go back to their so called husbands,"
he said.
One of the teen
moms talked to said she decided to return to school because she wants to improve
her living standards.
The girl who is a
pupil at Milenge Secondary School said the lack of finances is a huge hindrance
in her studies.
"My parents
are struggling to raise my school fees. Even when I'm at school, I constantly
worry about what my baby will eat. This disturbs me and affects my
concentration at school, "she said.
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