Her Future, Her Choice : Strengthening SRHR

By Linda Mupemo

L- R Oxfam Zambia Country Representative Yvonne Chibiya, Canada's Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, Chisamba District Administrative Officer Isaac Simwanza and Chisamba District Adolescent Health Focal Point Person Veronica Moonga

 In conservative Zambia , it is a challenge for most parents or guardians to discuss matters of sexuality with their children.

Considered a taboo in many circles, the topic is off limits for many, resulting in an information gap with regards to sexual health for many adolescents. 

Little wonder most vulnerable populations such as adolescents, women and persons with disabilities have had scanty knowledge on their Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).

This has,  in turn,  led to rampant teen and unplanned pregnancies, poor reproductive health seeking behaviour and sexual violence among other vices.

 

Martha Phiri, an Adolescent Health Peer Educator at Liteta District Hospital in Chisamba District shares her experience.

Like many other girls her age, Ms. Phiri held certain false beliefs about sex until health personnel at Liteta District Hospital provided her with information regarding sexual health. 

Privileged  to be among 73 adolescents in Chisamba that have been equipped with information on SRHR, Ms. Phiri says she is ready to share that information with other youths through peer education.

“I thought talking about sexual health was unchristian hence I was initially skeptical about joining the Adolescent Health Peer Educators group since I am a Christian. I was afraid of being labelled promiscuous by members of my community. But through the training, I gained knowledge on sexual health,” she says.

Her Future, Her Choice  is a Canadian - funded project seeking to strengthen young women’s reproductive health rights.  

Her Future, Her Choice encourages adolescents to have friendly corners where they can express themselves freely , ask questions and get information about healthy sexual practices from their peers.

Ms. Phiri explains that once an adolescent is given information on reproductive health by a peer educator, they are referred to health care providers for more reproductive health services. 

The Adolescent Health Peer Educators  facilitate group discussions and education sessions on SRHR with a view to raising awareness in the community. 

The team also distributes condoms and offers emotional support to adolescents struggling with health issues. 

Her Future, Her Choice project was rolled out to Chisamba District in 2019. The project is also being implemented in Chibombo District in Central Province, Itezhi-Tezhi and Namwala Districts in Southern Province.

The initial funds allocated were 20,459, 204.00 Canadian dollars for a duration of four years, from March 2019 to November, 2023.

With a successful implementation of the project so far by Oxfam Zambia in partnership with Generation Alive, Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ) and Women in Law and Development in Africa, Global Affairs Canada has increased its funding to the project.

Canada's Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen made the announcement when he recently monitored the implementation of the project at Liteta District Hospital in Chisamba District in Central Province.

Mr. Hussen disclosed that the Canadian Government has allocated additional funds to the project which is scheduled to end in 2024.

“We have ramped up our efforts in aiding the neglected and underfunded areas in SRHR. I am pleased to announce that Global Affairs Canada has added an additional US 3 million dollars for Her Future, Her Choice. This will be implemented in four countries namely Zambia, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Malawi,” he said.

Mr. Hussein says Canada is on track to reach its commitment made to the project. 

 

“We recognise the good work that has been achieved by our partners. We value the results, the local partnerships and the critical role that government has been playing in enhancing adolescent sexual health,” he said.

Mr. Ahmed Hussen interacts with Adolescent Health Peer Educators at Liteta District Hospital

Oxfam Zambia Country Representative Yvonne Chibiya commended Her Future, Her Choice project for enabling youths access reproductive health services from health facilities through youth friendly spaces.

“More youths are now aware of their sexual rights which has consequently led to a decline in the HIV prevalence, early and unplanned pregnancies. Overall, the negative impact of failing to access sexual and reproductive health services has been minimised,” Ms. Chibiya said.

Statistics obtained from Chisamba District Health Office indicate that the number of teenagers engaging in premarital sexual activities is high.

Last year alone,  1,456 pregnancies were recorded in the area among girls aged between 15 and 19 years while 709 pregnancies were recorded from January to June this year. 

This shows that teenagers in the area are actively engaging in unprotected sex, an issue that is concerning to health care providers. 

 

Chisamba District Health Director Moono Shankanga, however, notes that the number of teenage pregnancies recorded in the area is lower at health facilities where Her Future, Her Choice project is being implemented.  

Dr. Shankanga explains that the project is being implemented at Malombe Rural Health Center, Chikonkomene Rural Health Post and Liteta District Hospital whose total catchment population is over 30, 000.

The initiative has created a supportive environment for young people to access reproductive health services without facing stigma , discrimination or embarrassment. 

" Under this project, health care providers have been capacity built to offer reproductive health services to adolescents and young women without frowning upon them. Our staff have learned the essence of respecting reproductive health rights of adolescents and young women," he says. 

Dr. Shankanga observes that adolescents and young women in target communities are now making informed decisions regarding their reproductive health. 

As keen advocates of good morals,  the church has called on other stakeholders to double their efforts in instilling good morals in adolescents. 

Chisamba Pastor’s Fellowship Chairperson Reverend Watanga Ngoma called for more knowledge transfer to young people in order to enhance their morality. 

Reverend Ngoma says there is need for more collaborated efforts between the church and the health sector in order to equip adolescents with information that is not only beneficial to their sexual health but also their spiritual lives. 

"Inasmuch as we acknowledge that adolescents are engaging in premarital sex, we need to inculcate morals in them that will make them shun the behaviour. As a church, we are offering them sex education so that they know these things. However, our focus is grounding them in the word of God," says Reverend Ngoma.  

 NB - This feature article was published in Zambia Daily Mail newspaper on 28th November, 2023.