As part of a continued commitment to promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education for young individuals, Ungweru Organisation conducted a series of engagements targeting adolescents and young adults across different age groups with a huge emphasis on empathy building and cervical cancer awareness.
Between May 13 and April 20, the organization concentrated on making young people between 11 and 16 years old aware of important issues like menstruation, building empathy, physical changes, wet dreams, the HPV vaccine and the prevention of cervical cancer.
On May 10th, Ungweru conducted a powerful session for young adults (16-24 years) at St. Benedetta Hall in Chibavi, focusing on the role of correct SRH information in making sound health-related decisions. Against the backdrop of Malawi’s second-highest prevalence of worldwide cervical cancer, the topics included causes, prevention, and risk reduction.
SRH Coordinator Patricia Nyirenda encouraged the female participants to screen for cervical cancer and tasked communities with vaccinating children between the ages of 9 and 14 against the HPV virus.
On April 20 and 22, the organization expanded its reach to Form 1 and 2 learners at Chris Academy, Luwinga and Zolozolo Secondary Schools engaging in frank discussions on wet dreams, menstruation and building a sense of empathy. The session sought to break myths, encourage hygiene and break stigmatization of natural body changes.
Charles Mvula, a participant at Chibavi, observed that the SRH education would prevent them from having early pregnancies as well as contracting sexually transmitted diseases and negative misconceptions about adolescence.
With these efforts, Ungweru remains at the center of empowering Malawi’s youth through crucial skills and information necessary for healthier lives.