By Mercy Botha

Mzimba, 1 April, Mana: Social Welfare Officer for Mzimba, Bernard Nangwale, has applauded Foundation for Children’s Rights (FCR) for its interventions in child protection in Traditional Authority (TA) Kampingo Sibande in the district.

Nangwale was speaking Tuesday during a meeting to mark the end of an Addressing Sex and Gender Based Violence (GBV) Through Social Analysis and Action project which FCR was implementing.

He said, through the project, the organization managed to withdraw seven children from marriages and sent them back to school.

“The project’s focus on economic empowerment through village savings and loan groups has also been particularly effective in reducing vulnerability to GBV. We are grateful for this and we are looking forward to working with FCR again,” said Nangwale.

FCR Project Manager, Chimwemwe Singini, said the project focused on promoting children’s access to education, healthcare and protection from harm.

He said the organization worked closely with the communities, traditional leaders and health workers to ensure that children’s rights are respected and protected.

“We are proud of the progress made in combating sex and GBV in Mzimba. Our project has not only raised awareness about the issue but also provided community members with the skills and knowledge to prevent and respond to GBV,” he said.

Singini assured the council that the gains made will be sustained through community engagement and support.

“Our project will be sustained through various community structures like Kampingo Sibande Women’s forum, community gender technical working groups and traditional leaders.

“We have also given them the manual which will guide them to ensure sustainability of the initiative.” he said.

The project was funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).