Malawi's refugee situation has worsened due to continued donor decrease in external support. Children and their parents have no access to food, this situation has affected 36,000 refugees in Malawi, as a result, Refugees are freeing from the camp into communities and facing sexual and gender based violations especially young girl refugees. This project will empower girl refugees in the camp with skills, knowledge and sewing machines to make reusable sanitary pads to raise funds for their needs.
Refugees have been facing a lot of challenges in Malawi camps, The current refugee Act in Malawi does not permit them to leave the camps nor freely associate with locals, as such most refugees have been given small food rations that can not suffice the whole month, 36,000 refugees are affected, the end result is that Young women and girls are forced to engage in sex for survivor and/or money. This situation has increased the vulnerabilities of young girls who end up being raped and impregnated.
To solve this challenge FACT will work closely with women and girls refugees in the camp to introduce socio economic advancement initiatives such as making of reusable sanitary pads that will be sold among the refugees whilst increasing their incomes and reducing poverty among girls that increases the risk of poverty associated gender based violence. Teen pregnant girls will be given a chance to return to school through this common income generating fund, and promote behaviour change lessons.
Social mobilisation of this social development fund, utilising reusable sanitary pads clubs will provide for a space for social and behavioural change communication among the girls, as such the girls will be able to mobilise among themselves to challenge cases of abuse based on their vulnerabilities there by reducing incidences of Sexually Transmitted Infections within the camp, reduce sexual violence as more girls will now be empowered to demand their rights and eventual reduction of poverty.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
