By Staff writer Through education and resources on menstrual hygiene management provided by ...
 |
 |
 |
By Staff writer
Through education and resources
on menstrual hygiene management provided by ‘Hakuna Wasichoweza’ Girls Empowerment Program, implemented by
T-MARC Tanzania, a total of 6,000 adolescent girls in Mtwara region now have a
better chance to avoid teenage pregnancies, school drop outs and HIV
infections.
Speaking
to this paper in Dar es Salaam recently, T-MARC Tanzania Public Relations and
Communication Manager Maurice Chirimi said, the
program was launched in 2013 with support from the United States Agency for
International Development - USAID and Vodacom
Foundation.
Chirimi elaborated that,
through the program, T-MARC has facilitated the roll out of training sessions to
in and out of school girls with aim of equipping the girls with education,
knowledge and free sanitary pads that assist them in menstrual hygiene
management.
He noted that, the training
sessions and free sanitary pads have so far reached 5,232 pre-adolescent girls
in 24 primary schools, and another 552 out of school adolescent girls in 17
wards of Mtwara Region.
‘Training on menstrual hygiene management and youth reproductive health is conducted under the facilitation of trained teachers and traditional nurses, utilising a Menstrual Hygiene Management Training Manual that has been developed by T-MARC through the Hakuna Wasichoweza program in collaboration with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE).
A total of 204 sessions for out
of school girls and 512 sessions for in school girls have been conducted,’ the
Program Manager, Doris Chalambo has revealed,” he added.
He further noted that, in
collaboration with all Ward Executive Officers (WEO’s) found in 17 wards of
intervention, the program has recruited and trained 40 teachers and 34
traditional nurses and “Nyakanga” who
provide education and supervision to the targeted girls.
Chirimi further noted that, 11
project facilitators have also been engaged by the program to assist in
distribution of the sanitary pads to school girls adding that the community
leaders in the respective wards, head teachers and peer educators picked from
among the girls themselves have added great value towards projects success and
acceptance.
“Following the success noted in the first phase of
implementation of this program, T-MARC Tanzania with funding support from the
Vodacom Foundation ($166,000) is scaling up this program to reach an additional
4,200 girls in 10 new schools with menstrual hygiene management education and
free sanitary pads. T-MARC will also train 20 additional teachers to serve as
mentors for the girls,” he said
Vodacom head of Communication Rosalynn Mworia said
Vodacom Foundation was proud to support the initiative since it strongly
believes that, when girls are empowered they can be very productive members of
the society.
She said, in most cases girls have been falling prey
in incidents which destroy their future like unwanted pregnancies and as a
result they end up dropping from the school
adding that the project has provided a new hope for Mtwara girls.
Na Mwandsihi Wetu
Jumla ya wasichana 6,000 mkoani Mtwara walio kwenye umri wa balehe sasa wapo katika nafasi nzuri
ya kujikinga na mimba za umri mdogo zinazowasababishia kuacha shule pamoja na
kujikinga na maambukizi ya Virusi vya Ukimwi
Akiongea na gazeti hili jijini
Dar es Salaam jana, Meneja uhusiano na mawasiliano wa T-MARC Tanzania Maurice
Chirimi alisema mafanikio hayo yametokana na mradi unaojulikiana kama ‘Hakuna
Wasichoweza’ unaotekelezwa na T-MARC kwa ufadhili wa Shirika la Misaada la
Marekani (USAID) na Kampuni ya mawasiliano ya Vodacom.
Chirimi alisema kuwa, mradi huo
ulianza mwaka 2013 ambapo USAID kwa kushirikiana na Vodacom kupitia mfuko wake
wa kusaidia jamii (Vodacom Foundation waliwapa nguvu ili kufanikisha mradi huo.
Alifafanua kuwa, kupitia mradi
huo, T-MARC imefanikisha kutoa mafunzo kwa wasichana walio mashuleni na wasi
mashuleni ikiwa na lenga la kuwapatia elimu pamoja na kuwapatia pedi wasichana
wanatoka katika familia maskini kwa ajili ya kujihifadhi wakati wakiwa hedhi.
Aliongeza kuwa, mafunzo pamoja
na pedi za bure zimewafikia wasichana 5,232 waliopo katika shule 24 za msingi
na wengine 552 wasiokuwepo mashuleni katika kata 17 mkoani Mtwara.
“Mafunzo ya namna na
kujihifadhi wakati wakiwa hedhi pamoja na afya ya uzazi yanafanyika chini ya
uwezeshaji wa walimu waliopewa mafunzo na wauguzi wa jadi. Kitini cha
kufundishia juu ya masuala haya kimeweza kuandaliwa na T-MARC kwa kushirikiana
Taasisi ya Elimu Tanzania kupitia mradi huu wa ‘Hakuna Wasichoweza’,”
alifafanua
Alisema kupitia mafanikio
yaliyopatikana kwenye awamu ya kwanza ya mradi, T-MARC kwa msaada wa dola za
Kimarekani 166,000 itaupanua mradi na kuwafikia wasichana wengine 4,200 katika
shule mpya 10 na kuongeza kuwa pia shirika lake litawapatia mafunzo walimu
wengine 20 kwa ajili ya kuwafundisha na kuwaelekeza wasichana
Kwa upande wake, Mkuu wa kitengo cha Mawasiliano na
Uhusiano wa Vodacom Rosalynn Mworia alisema Vodacom Foundation ikitambua
mchango wa mwanamke katika jamii inayomzunguka kwani ukimwelimisha mwanamke ni
sawasawa na kuelimisha jamii, Kwa kweli Vodacom foundation inajivunia sana
kufadhili mradi huo muhimu.
Alisema mara nyingi ukosefu wa elimu sahihi juu ya
afya ya uzazi umekuwa ukiwafanya wasichana kuanza kuacha kuhudhuria vipindi
vyao mashuleni yote hayo pia ni kwa kukosa nguo za kujihifadhi wakiwa katika
siku za hedhi na kuwafanya watoto kuanza ngono wakiwa katika umri mdogo bila
kujua madhara yake jambo ambalo huwasababishia mimba na kuwafanya washindwe
kutimiza ndoto zao za kielimu
COMMENTS