Kanengo Police Station in conjunction with Ministry of Gender, Disability, Children and Social Warfare, Friday rescued three teenage girls from prostitution who are aged between 15 and 17 years.
The police station’s deputy spokesperson, Salomy Zgambo Chibwana said that the law enforcers got a tip off from members of the general public through the Ministry of Gender that the young girls were operating as sex workers in Mgona Location in Lilongwe.
“Police acted fast by visiting the place and managed to rescue the three girls (names withheld) though a number of girls are involved in the same business,” said Chibwana.
The spokesperson added that upon hearing about the issue, the Principal Social Welfare Officer, Mike Maulidi, who works under the ministry, visited Kanengo Police to have first hand information and picture of the situation on the ground.
“He was touched considering that children are being abused sexually,” she said.
However, Maulidi said there was need to find out what forced the said girls into prostitution as well as finding their home villages.
On his part, the Principal Social Welfare Officer said his ministry would link the girls to social cash transfer program, as a way of helping them with cash and diverting their attention from drinking joints and brothels.
He added that it was the wish of the ministry to link the girls to other non-governmental organizations that deal in girl child education.
“We would like to have a strong network with police, city council and the community to have a task force in order to fight such issues of earning a living through prostitution, especially among teenage girls. Such efforts need to be extended to street kids,” Maulidi said.
He added that his ministry would like to see police officers being trained as social workers in order for them to effectively deal with social problems.
All the three teenage girls hail from Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba District and have since been repatriated to their respective homes.
He added that it was the wish of the ministry to link the girls to other non-governmental organizations that deal in girl child education.
“We would like to have a strong network with police, city council and the community to have a task force in order to fight such issues of earning a living through prostitution, especially among teenage girls. Such efforts need to be extended to street kids,” Maulidi said.
He added that his ministry would like to see police officers being trained as social workers in order for them to effectively deal with social problems.
All the three teenage girls hail from Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba District and have since been repatriated to their respective homes.
