A survey conducted by the Malawi Girl Guides Association (MAGGA) has established that the number of girls that have been impregnated or got married in Mulanje during the COVID-19 school holiday amounts to 62 early pregnancies and 72 child marriages.

The survey, conducted between Monday 14th September ended on Friday, 18th September, was aimed at all Area Development Committees (ADCs) in the district, as MAGGA Field Facilitator Cosmas Malisero, attributed the particular demographic to to give an opportunity to community leaders to establish drivers and remedies of both early pregnancies and child marriages.

“As you are aware, the ADCs are influential structures in communities where also these girls that have either been impregnated or got into marriages live. We therefore expect these structures to explore causes of both early pregnancies and child marriages and how to eliminate the two,” said Malisero.

Last month, Senior Chief Theresa Kachindamoto, ordered village chiefs to dissolve all the child marriages that took place during the country’s coronavirus lockdown so girls can return to classes upon the reopening of schools. Upon the reopening of (approved) primary and secondary schools on 7 September, the government called on all pregnant and married students to attend classes and sit for national examinations.