Mchacha Mother Group of Livunzu zone in the area of Tradition Authority Makhuwira in Chikwawa has prevented attempts by the parent of a teenage girl (name withheld) to abort her pregnancy.

According to Mary Manjomo a Mother Group member for Mchacha said the mother of the girl child wanted her daughter to abort to save her face since she is a women’s guild leader in her Church. Keeping the pregnancy and the kid to be born will be a shame to her and the entire family considering that they are Christians, Manjomo narrated.

The father of the girl was supportive because he is the one who informed the Mother Group of the plot to abort. We went to meet with the mother and the girl child and had a talk with them. We employed persuasive tactics that we learnt from Mother Group trainings that were conducted by Blantyre Synod in the Keeping Girls in School project and convinced the mother that the girl should not abort but keep the pregnancy and after delivery to go back to school, said Manjomo.

In a related story, Mitondo CDSS Mother Group have managed to persuade a girl who was married for 8 years and have two kids to go back to school and complete her education. According to Rose White a Mother Group member, the girl will be starting her Form 4 the coming 2016/17 academic year.

Female teachers in the zone are also making strides to make sure that the girl child stays in school and complete her education. According to Rose Stanya, a female teacher at Mitondo CDSS, they conduct regular talks with girls and encourage those who have been readmitted not drop out again. We also help in paying school fees for those who are unable to pay fees; we collaborate with well-wisher male teachers, added Chikondi Pasungwi a female teacher at Livunzu CDSS.