Officials from the Livingstonia Synod Aids Program (LISAP) Project say early pregnancies and early marriages are on the rise in Nkhata-bay district due to lack of role models to inspire students.
This was disclosed during a motivational talk to learners in different schools under Chikwina Zone in the district.
Livingstonia Synod Aids Program (LISAP) Project Manager for Every Youth Empowered Project, Vitumbiko Kumwenda, said most students in rural areas lack motivation from role models which is fueling early marriages.
“The challenge of high school dropout rate in rural areas arise due to inadequate parental guidance and lack of role models to motivate learners to stay in school.
“It was noted that Chikwina being in the rural area, it does not have role models, so it is easy for students to drop out of school because they have not seen anyone going far with education, hence we thought it relevant to bring with us various professionals such as the Senior Resident Magistrate, a nurse and others,” said Kumwenda.
In his remarks, Parent Education Advisor (PEA) for Chikwina Zone, Benson Chavula, said the motivation talks are important for the students as they will be motivated to set goals.
