By Success Majaramhepo.
Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) a youth advocacy group has launched a programme which seeks to curb sexual abuse and early child marriage in Chipinge.
The programme named Kungoma was launched after the organisation discovered an upsurge in sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies which PYCD gender and advocacy Officer Cynthia Gwenzi attributed to lack of information on sexual health.
“Teenage girls are exposed to sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancy due to lack of empowering information about their sexuality in our area. So to empower them, PYCD introduced the Kungoma project where teens are privileged to interact with a mentor in the form of an aunt or uncle about these issues,” said Gwenzi.
She said the mentors will educate teenagers on safe ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
“We have noticed that adolescence lacks information empowered from their parents due to modernization, so the mentors will be trained to counsel about safe ways to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexual abuse,” she said
PYCD Gender activist Memory Khosa said the programme will play the parental role for the teenagers.
“Kungoma will motivate adolescence who are now indulging in unprotected sex due to lack of parental support as well as the cost and unavailability of contraceptives in shops. Uncles and aunties will cover the gape of parents and children,” said Khosa.
She said the mentorship lessons will focus on discussing their anatomy and will allow them to air their views including challenges they are facing.
“Mentors will have time with teens to discuss the details about their anatomy while answering private questions and fears. Chipinge is one of the country’s hotspots in terms of early child marriages and child rights abuse due to poverty and cultural practices, so we hope this programme will help us to curtail this catastrophe,” she said
