Traditional Authority Mposa in Machinga says he rarely handles cases of men leaving their wives and disappearing with cash after selling rice following the implementation of a project seeking to end Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the district.
Partners in Action for Sustainable Development (PASD) is implementing Tusinde Project in the area in partnership with Devoted Youth Action for Change (DYAC).
Traditional Authority Mposa hailed Tusinde Project saying the area has recorded a reduction of GBV school dropouts and pregnancies among school girls.
He observed that marriages used to be unstable during rice harvesting and selling but things have improved for the better because there is a reduction of marriage break up.
Traditional Authority Mposa said men used to disappear with cash after selling rice, adding such men could either spend the cash drinking beer or marrying second wife.
The chief said he rarely handle such cases of men fleeing with cash after rice harvest and sales.
” l commend Tusinde Project because it has reduced SGBV mostly to women because most married couples used to break apart during rice harvesting and selling as some men flee with cash to marry elsewhere or to drink beer ,” he added.
One of the women at from Mpheta Village, Traditional Authority Mposa, Patricia Patache said most men have been sensitized on GBV , adding that Tusinde Project has really brought positive change in most families.
“l wish this project could be extended further so that it should continue to register more successes as some men in our area also became make champions against GBV,” she added.
PASD Executive Director, Amos Chiyenda said Tusinde, which translate to Let’s Change in English, has really made an impact in Traditional Authority Mposa’s area where cases of GBV and sexual related cases were common before the project
The executive director told Malawi24 in an interview that people at Mposa area are requesting for the extension of Tusinde Project after being satisfied that men and young men now understand human rights that protect women and girls against all forms of violence.
“The people want the project to continue because it has also helped to reduce cases of GBV that happened to women and girls,” said Chiyenda, adding that from October to December 2021 the project recorded 30.9 percent reduction of GBV cases and sexual related offences
He further said cases that were referred to human rights organisations and local leaders has also dropped from 63 percent to 21 percent in the same period, adding that there are improvements on school enrollment and class attendance in seven schools in Mposa area.
Chiyenda also observed that school dropout rate has been reduced and that there is a reduction in pregnancies among girls as the project recorded a 21 percent reduction.
“This shows that the project has a positive impact because seven schools in Mposa area have recorded a 12 per cent reduction in school drop out due to pregnancy,” PASD Executive Director said.
Despite the successes registered by the project, however, Chiyenda bemoaned delays in handling and concluding court cases of GBV. He said the delays bring community mistrust in police thinking that the law enforcers are corrupt when perpetrators of GBV and defilement are sometimes granted police bail.
“People doubt how the police discharge their duties because suspects of SGBV are given bail despite the cases being serious ones,” he said while suggesting the introduction of mobile courts to ensure speed conclusion of such cases and administering of justice right in the community where the crime is committed.
PASD in partnership with DYAC Implemented Tusinde Project to deal with SGBV in Mposa area with financial assistance from the UN Women.
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