Malawi’s youngest ever Ombudsman, Martha Chizuma has entreated young girls to set their eyes on education at the 2018 Girls Conference organized by the More Than Brides Alliance.

During her passionate speech on December 18, 2018 at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe the top injustice investigator narrated her personal account of how education has dug her family out of poverty to living a decent life.

“I am the most educated lady in my immediate family and that has helped me to support my parents and siblings with more than their basic needs,” Chizuma explained.

Deputy Director in Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Anne Namagonya exclaimed that ‘contraceptive methods are primarily for adults’ and not adolescents, hence girls should concentrate more on acquiring higher qualifications in order to become influential people in the society.

The conference attracted 60 girls from Mchinji, Mangochi, and Nkhatabay districts with notable attendances of  government officials and representatives for Save the Children, Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) and Girls Empowerment Network (GENET).

In Malawi, the More Than Brides Alliance is comprised of Simavi, Population Council, Save the Children and Oxfam – with YONECO and GENET as the implementing partners of a project dubbed Marriage: No Child’s Play.