‘Access to education reduces child marriages’ file pic

Herald Reporter

GIRLS in rural areas should have better access to education to develop their self-worth and reduce prevalence of child marriages, the Farming Communities Education Trust (FACET) recommends, and wants civic organisations to back Government efforts.

Speaking at the belated event in Glendale to mark the Day of the African Child, FACET projects coordinator Mrs Respect Tsvanhu, said civic organisations should support Government’s efforts to prioritise access to education, particularly, among girls living in marginalised rural communities.

“As such, education is among the country’s sustainable development goals and a lot of effort is being directed towards educating the girl child, the marginalised communities and those with disabilities among others. 

In support of the Government’s initiatives, civil society organisations complement financially, through guidance counselling and awareness campaigns among other measures.”

Annually, the Day of the African Child is commemorated around the continent on June 16, a day set aside by the African Union to advocate for children’s rights and promotion of child-related matters.

Mrs Tsvanhu said FACET had decided to hold commemorations for the Day of the African Child in Glendale, a farming township in Mazowe District, to enhance awareness of children’s rights in rural communities. 

“Farm workers’ children constitute a reasonable fraction of the children in Mazowe. Most of them are financially and informationally incapacitated.

“ Some of the schools also have dilapidated infrastructure, unbalanced teacher-pupil ratio among other challenges. It is against this background that FACET identified the place and came up with the idea of celebrating with the children in the area.”

At the event, FACET donated sanitary wear to school girls.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey