A programme to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child was launched at KaMhola Secondary School in Umjindi.
It was hosted by the Mpumalanga Department of Education in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, Imbumba Foundation, Old Mutual Foundation, Old Mutual Insure, Nelson Mandela Foundation, LoveLife and Brand South Africa on Thursday. T
his programme focuses on the need to address the challenges girls face on a daily basis, to promote their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights and potential. It also seeks to empower them on a range of issues like the right to a safe, educated and healthy life during their critical formative years.
ALSO READ: Police arrest alleged mashonisa in connection with woman’s murder
The MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba, said, “It is our intent and desire as a department that our girls make it in life and live as equals to their male counterparts. We promote a nation that is free of any discrimination, abuse and violence against the girl child.” The Imbumba Foundation, through its Caring4Girls Programme, has led from the front to elevate the plight of the girl child by promoting a programme to distribute sanitary towels, teaching them about healthy lifestyles and to ensure that they fully benefit from the schooling system. They will also assist grade 12 learners to apply for university admission and bursaries, in particular the National Financial Aid Scheme.
“The department is also imple-menting peer education programmes such as the Girls Education Move-ment/Boy Education Movement and the Radically Different Species, focusing on co-curricular activities, including the combination prevention strategy targeting schools with high learner pregnancy. In partnership with Soul City, it provides the Soul Buddyz programme that is implemented in primary schools to prevent teenage pregnancy.”
ALSO READ: Tributes pour in for legendary journalist Dumisane Lubisi
There are also other stakeholders involved such as the Education Development Centre that introduced the Scripted Lesson Plans so teachers could transfer knowledge on sexuality education and HIV prevention activity to learners, including prevention of teenage pregnancy. Majuba added that it is prudent to note that these interventions work, but require the support and involvement of the whole parent community as it is said, “It takes a village to raise a child”.
