Seventy girls in neighboring Zambia have been impregnated after being enticed by men involved in mining activities in Chieftainess Mumpanshya’s area in Rufunsa district, local publication ZambianObserver reports.

Speaking in an interview, Zambia National Men’s Network for Gender and Development (ZNMNGD) national coordinator Nelson Banda said the influx of young men from urban areas who are conducting mining activities in the chiefdom is threatening the future of girls.

Banda said because of poverty, girls in the area cling to young men who venture into mining activities in the area.

Banda said many girls have fallen out of school in the chiefdom, saying the most affected areas are Kawesha, Shimungo and Chakenenya.