NAME OF PROJECT: Empowering girls and boys through increased access to education: A long term response to HIV and AIDS in Karonga district

FUNDED BY: Scottish Government through TF UK

PERIOD OF IMPLEMENTAION: April 2010 – March 2013

AREAS OF IMPLEMENTATION: Iponga and Ighembe

PRESBYTERY: Ngerenge Presbytery

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

To empower 16,138 girls and boys in Ighembe and Iponga from harmful traditional and other practices which expose them to abuse, denial of continuous education and HIV infection – A long term response to HIV and AIDS.

Background Information

The Tearfund funded Girls and Boys Empowerment Project being implemented by the Livingstonia Synod AIDS Program (LISAP) in Karonga District, began in the year 2009 and was motivated by the forceful marriage of a 7 year old girl, into a polygamous family. Karonga District  is located in the northern region of Malawi bordering Tanzanian and is among the Districts  with the highest reported cases of early marriages. Young girls are the most vulnerable and face the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, STIs and other sexual reproductive health problems. Cases of child labour are also prominent in the rice growing district. Most young boys and girls are forced to work in rice fields at the expensive of their education.

Currently the project is targeting two educational zones of Iponga and Ighembe in Traditional Authorities Mwakaboko and Kilupula respectively in the district.

Overall aim of the Project

The overall aim of the project is to empower 16,138 girls and boys (total enrolment in the project catchment area) in Karonga District from traditional practices which expose them to abuse and denial of continuous education and HIV infection.

Objectives of the Project

1. To promote increased access and continuation with education by boys and girls

2. To reduce incidences of harmful practices that negatively affect girls and boys education

3. To increase HIV and AIDS knowledge of girls and boys to help them make safe choices on sexual activities

4. To ensure adequate programme management, monitoring and evaluation

Description of Project Area

According to the 2008 Population and Housing Census by the Government of Malawi, TA Mwakaboko has a population of 19, 360 while TA Kilupula has a population of 61, 648 which makes a total population of 81,008. Traditional Authority Mwakaboko has 14 villages and 4 group village headmen [GVH] while Traditional Authority Kilupula has 30 villages and 8 group village headmen.

Ighembe has a total of fifteen primary (15) schools while Iponga has a total of fourteen (14) primary schools. Both Iponga and Ighembe zones have one secondary school each- Iponga and Kaporo Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS).   There were 3170 boys and 3039 girls in Iponga schools and 5380 boys and 4856 girls in Ighembe schools making a total of 16,445 in both zones for first year. In the second year of the project the figure rose to 17, 304 out of which 3,636 are boys and 3,384 are girls in Iponga and 5,357 boys and 4,927 girls in Ighembe.