Encourage Girl Child education – Happiness Chirwa prods parents
Trained Lusaka female teacher Ms Happiness Chirwa backs girl child education
By Bilke Mulenga
Happiness Chirwa, alongside many Zambian leaders and organizations, urges parents to prioritize girl child education, emphasizing it empowers girls economically, reduces poverty, and fosters national development, despite challenges like inadequate infrastructure and socio-economic barriers that require both parental and government support for free education to truly succeed and ensure girls stay in school and complete their education.
Key Messages from Happiness Chirwa & Advocates:
- Empowerment: Educating girls leads to economic independence, making them equal partners in development.
- Societal Benefit: An educated girl benefits her family, community, and the entire nation, contributing to a stronger economy and reduced poverty.
- Combating Challenges: Education helps delay early marriage and parenthood, addressing major issues facing young girls.
Challenges & Solutions:
- Financial Barriers: While the government offers free education, costs for uniforms, books, and exam fees persist, requiring support for vulnerable families.
- Infrastructure: Overcrowded schools, lack of desks, and poor sanitation hinder quality learning, necessitating increased investment.
- Socio-Economic Factors: Long distances to school, peer pressure, and lack of parental involvement in sex education contribute to girls dropping out.
- Holistic Approach Needed: Programs like the GEWEL project offer grants, sanitary towels, and focus on livelihoods to keep girls in school.
Call to Action for Parents:
- Active Involvement: Parents are urged to work with the government and NGOs to ensure girls remain in school.
- Support the Free Education Policy: Embrace the policy and understand its role in girls’ futures, while also advocating for improved quality.
Organizations like CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) and FAWEZA (Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia) actively support these efforts, highlighting that investing in girls’ education is crucial for Zambia’s future prosperity, say UNZA Repository and ZNBC.
Ms. Happiness Chirwa, a female teacher in Situmbeko Area, Shibuyunji District, off Mumbwa Road ( 65 -85km West of Lusaka)prods parents and guardians of a girl child who have not made it to an upward grade not to send them into marriage but encourage learning, writes BILKE MULENGA https://x.com/i/status/1481403260778991620
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