High school dropouts hits Mulanje

Mulanje is one of the districts in the southern Malawi that has been affected by high levels of school  dropouts.

Nalipiri Primary School is one of the schools in Mulanje that has been affected by increasing school dropout due to early pregnancies and early marriages.

Progressio ICS- Malawi allumni volunteers held a campaign on promoting girl child education at Nalipiri Primary school on Wednesday 18 February 2015.

The campaign which saw a gathering of more than 375 people, pupils inclusive had a discussion on factors that contribute to school dropouts and the pupils were inspired by a nurse at Mulanje District Hospital who narrated a story on her success.

Among other things the pupils said they end up dropping school because they lack basic needs like soap, exercise books and clothes which parents do not provide to them when they ask but rather tell them to provide for themselves. This leads to early pregnancies because they have nowhere else to get the basics but from men.

Honester Hedson Kachiunda, a Nurse Midwife Technician at Mulanje District Hospital urged the girls to work hard in class because early pregnancies have a lot of complications which can even lead to death.

The headteacher of the school Jonathan Nguluwe said last academic year alone saw 10 girls dropping out of school because they got pregnant.

He also added that this academic year which is in its second term has already seen FOUR girls dropping out because of pregnancy.

He also encouraged the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) to work together in promoting Girl Child Education.

Group Village Head Mangani thanked the team for the campaign saying that a lot of girls are dropping out of school due to early pregnancies but these issues are not openly talked about in the area.

She also encouraged parents to provide for their children so that they may someday be productive leaders.

This is happening when parliament in the country has just passed a bill that does not allow the girl child to marry before the age of 18.