Silungwe says Livingstonia Synod softens up on sexual reproductive health
Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP) of the Livingstonia Synod, through its health department is implementing a Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) project to bridge information gap and counter social issues affecting the church’s youths.
The Synod’s Health Department Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Godfrey Silungwe said previously, the church was reluctant to be involved in sexual reproductive health interventions.
But now, he said, the church has softened up after realizing that its youths were still getting messages on the same from other platforms which the church feels may be misleading.
“From those platforms, there might have been a possibility of the youths getting distorted information on sexual and reproductive health rights.
“That is why we have decided to offer the youth reliable information regarding their sexual reproductive health,” Silungwe said.
He further said the Livingstonia Synod’s health department is integrating sexual reproductive health rights issues within already established church youth clubs so that apart from sharing Christian teachings, they should also discuss SRHR.
“This is made possible through building capacities of church based initiators who are traditional church members responsible for initiating youths to the church’s Christian teachings.
“The church based initiators integrate components of sexual reproductive health in all youth programmes and also conduct door to door campaign to encourage youths to be faithful and stay in school,” Silungwe said.
Silungwe explained that the Nzatonse Project, which targets youths aged between 10 and 24, has already brought back to school some youths who withdrew because of early pregnancies and marriages.
“We have built five youth resource centres in Mzimba where the youths can access youth friendly health services like HIV testing and recreation services,” he said.
