YAIO engages youths on SRHR and HIV and Aids response

Blantyre, October 24, Mana: Youth Activists Initiative Organization (YAIO), a Blantyre based youth group says it remains vigilant in raising awareness among the youths on issues to do with Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and HIV and Aids through Tikambirane Clubs at Chirimba and Lunzu in Blantyre.

YAIO Programmes Manager, Cecilia Kacholola, said that its project on SRHR brings open discussions on HIV ad Aids prevention to help the youth get right information for informed decisions.

With funding from Miserecor in Germany, the SRHR project facilitated establishment of 15 new Tikambirane Clubs in schools in Chirimba and South Lunzu education zones.

“So far, the youth are making right and informed decisions on their own. They are now able to tell whenever they are abused and are able to report cases to relevant authorities,

“We established Kameza Youth Club and this was done after meeting with young people and adult forums to address emerging social issues such as drug and substance abuse among the youths,” said Kacholola.

Speaking in an interview with the Malawi News agency (Mana), a social commentator, Julius Mithi, said organizations should target both primary and secondary school learners on issues to do with SRHR and HIV and Aids, observing that parents often fail to open up to their children on HIV and AIDS, and Sexual and Reproductive Health issues due to social-cultural barriers.

“When children are given right information about Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV and Aids at a tender age, they understand these issues better and this help to reduces confrontations between children and parents,” Mithi said, adding that children-parents confrontation mostly leads to increased cases of suicide among the young people.

Blantyre Urban District Youth Officer, Martha Chelewani said youths make largest and fastest growing population in Malawi such that her office put interventions in place to empower the youths through economic activities as a way of dealing with HIV and AIDS as well as sexual reproductive health issues.

“The youth office and partners also facilitate business management skills to promote business and saving culture. This helps the youths to engage themselves in productive issues other than indulging themselves in immoral behaviours that can drive them to contract sexually transmitted infections such as and HIV,” she said.

Chilewani added that providing youths with adequate and right information about HIV and Aids, and SRHR was part of youth centered approach to ensure productive and responsible beings that can withstand peer pressure,

YAIO started implementing the SRHR project in Chilomoni Education Zone area in 2020 and has expanded to other schools in Chirimba and South Lunzu Education zones.

YAIO is working with other youth organizations including Active Youth Association, Sowing Seeds in the Morning (SOSMORE), Youth Relief Agency, Machinjiri Youth Organization, New Dawn and Youth Coordinating Agency to offer various youth programmes in SRHR and HIV and Aids response.