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.