Scores of young women from Nyanga and the surrounding areas gathered at Lusaka Community Hall in Nyanga on Saturday 5 March to talk about social ills facing their communities.
The gathering was organised by Hope Africa, a non government organisation that deals with various social ills in communities.
The event primarily targeted girls in the Kliptfontein area which includes areas such as Nyanga, Barcelona, Europe, Kanana, Lotus informal settlements, Gugulethu, New Rest, Khikhi and Polar Park.
Hope Africa’s Peer Group Trainer Amanda Dumisa said the occasion was the last event for the current term.
She said they invited girls between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.
“Today we have the adolescent girls and young women’s programme. We are offering psychosocial support and biomedical services. This month is the end of our three-year term, in Klipfontein,” said Dumisa.
She explained that there are various services rendered under both psychosocial support and biomedical services.
“Under psychosocial support we have individual counselling, grief counselling, substance abuse screening and counselling, self-defence and teen parenting. While on biomedical services there is HIV/Aids screening and testing, TB screening and testing, sexually transmitted diseases screening and testing, PrEP initiation, condom promotion and provision and contraception,” she stated, adding that they are working with local clinics for additional health support.
Dumisa stated that they are also working with some community members to organise participants.
“We are working with community stakeholders to assist us in collecting the children and protecting us as well because in most areas people don’t know us and these community members are accompanying and even wait for us while we are busy doing our events,” she said.
Dumisa said after every event each girl received a dignity pack which includes sanitary towels, tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, towel and sanitiser.
One of the women Lusanda Nhise (22) from Kanana described the event as informative. She said there are a lot of things that she was not aware of. “I learned a lot about peer pressure and teen parenting. Also we were encouraged to speak out when we have a problem,” said Nhise. She described the organisation as a safe space.
