PLAN Zambias " Because I am a girl "

Whenever a girl makes a mistake a reprimand is peppered with the statement “you are a girl” thus you cannot do this.

Many girls when asked why they do not play, study hard and even dream high answer with the statement; “because I am a girl.”

Thus as a society we encourage our girls to merely be seen and not heard, to sit and not run to sing and not dance, to cover their face and hide their dreams whilst they listen to their brothers loudly echoing theirs.

 However an initiave has stemmed from this and it is called “Because am a girl,” a global initiative by Plan International to help advance the cause of girls globally.

Every developing country globally has problems regarding economic welfare of women; females remain the face of poverty.

 Over 70% of the one billion people living in extreme poverty globally are female and this trend starts from childhood.

Girls are missing many opportunities globally and perhaps Plans “Because I am a Girl” initiative might rectify some of these imbalances.

Plan International Country Director Tim Budge feels that girls have as much right to education, health and economic empowerment as their brothers.

Tim Budge 

“As Plan we meant to focus on ending child marriages so that girls can finish school.” Says Mr Budge

In Zambia as in many other developing countries the completion rate of girls is lower that that of boys.

This is because many parents would rather educate their sons while they girls are relegated to the kitchens of their parents and later to that of their husbands.

Many factors  influence these harsh and unfair decisions; Ahmed Lungu of Chipata said that in as much as it was not fair for him to educate his three sons and leave his two daughters he has a valid reason.

“My first born daughter got pregnant at 15 and so I married her off to the chap who impregnated her, my wife was left with only Mailess our 13 year old daughter to help her. 

She was not doing well in school but she is a good cook so we just let her stop besides who marry her in the village if she is too educated,” Mr. Lungu asks sarcastically

Attitudes like these are not uncommon in a society that prides itself on its chauvinism and placement of men above women.

According to Mr. Budge 42% of married women are married before the age of 18 a number which could very well be higher than official records.

As Jane Mwape, a 19-year-old mother of three states, she was married off at 15 and since then she has just been giving birth,

 She laments the fact that her husband has already started ear marking prospective candidates to marry her two-year-old daughter.

Plan International fortunately does not believe all subscribe to these notions of cutting a girls childhood short and this line of thinking is in line with the right of children to play and rest whilst been protected.

The ratio of boys to girls in school is dispropotionate

Child marriages have adverse results not only psychologically but also physically and economically.

The high numbers of young mothers worsens the high levels of maternal mortality in developing countries and Zambia is definitely among that list.

According to the March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated to pregnancy and baby health, teen mothers are more likely to give birth to their babies prematurely.

 Premature birth takes place before the 37th week of pregnancy. Health risks to a premature baby include breathing problems from unformed lungs, long-term disabilities and possibly death.

Low birth weight is another health risk posed to babies born from teenage mothers. 

Girls under the age of 15 have a higher risk of giving birth to a low birth weight premature baby.  

The Health risks posed to low-birth-weight babies include respiratory-distress syndrome, vision loss, unformed organs and bleeding in the brain.

The younger the girl, the higher the likelihood of pregnancy complications this is not even rocket science it is merely common sense.

There is an increased risk of premature birth, high blood pressure, anemia and placenta problems in young mothers and coupled with the poor nutrition levels in the country the situation looks dire.

The children that do survive birth and infancy might then go on to be stunted in growth.

According to Sosten Banda who is, Social Conditions acting Programmes Manager, at the Jesuit Center for Theological Reflections (JCTR) over 45% of children in the country are stunted in growth.

This means that close to a million of our future citizens are not growing at the rate at which they should.

The common misconception held by many is that malnutrition is only prevalent in poor homes thus for girls who are married off to rich men the risk is not there.

However this is wrong as the common saying goes “when you educate a woman you educate a nation,” an educated woman will be better placed to provide a balanced meal to her children, practice safe, planned parenthood and generally provide a base for the education and success of her children.

The cycle of Poverty needs to be broken

According to Mr. Budge, Plan International is helping to fight the marginalization of girls by working with traditional leaders, teachers and communities by sensitizing them on the dangers associated with child marriages and early dropouts.

To help young people economically Plan Zambia has come up with saving clubs where young people put money, which they themselves can borrow at a minimal interest and later share it out at the end of the year.

This teaches the youth financial self-sustenance and helps them have more leverage to fight decisions that may be forced on them.

 The organization is currently operating in Eastern, Central and Luapula province though with further support it can expand.

However  if stiffer and more profound measures were put in place to prevent forced child marriages and school dropouts there really would not even be a need to discuss this but as it is the situation is in dire need of address.

It is vital in the fight for equality not to forget the sons of the land and this is the one thing that Plan are careful to not do.

“We do not just work with one part of the population,” Tim Budge says as he outlines what other programmes Plan works on.

Balancing the equation

Education where the organization works to help improve the quality of early and basic education another is health to ensure that the rate of maternal and infant mortality is reduced.

Under the umbrella of their health programme Plan strives to educate and inform adolescents of their reproductive health.

Othe programmes include Economic Empowerment were savings clubs are encouraged in the villages and entrepreneurial skills are taught.

Another vital sector that the Organization must be commended for is its intense advocacy for child rights and children participation.

It is null and void to fight for childrens rights if they themselves know not what their rights are, therefore the initiave means that children are taught about their right and also encouraged to head out and sensitize their communities.

Better placed to talk of Children's rights

Since the initiative was launched the organisation has seen an increase in reported cases of abuse, molestation and child marriages.

Thus the United Nations declaration of 11^th October as the International  Day of the girl is welcome as it shows a global concern for the welfare of our future women.

However Plan felt that it did not make sense to sit with folded arms and wait for October before acting as the famous saying goes “the time to act is now.”

It is worth noting that burden must be shared and this has been the case as there are many individuals and companies who have helped the organization on its tremendous long journey of 75 years of which 16 have been in Zambia.

It is therefore vital for everyone to pitch in, by either donating funds or taking up a child to put through school.

It is possible for companies especially as it is time we helped developed our future leaders instead of merely relying on others.

Plan is setting the trail but we must help put a smile on that 13 year old girl told to quit school and marry  a 56 year old crone because he will pay a cow.

The statement “Because I am a girl” has always been negative but now with trailblazers like Plan it is changing to an emblem of pride.

At the launch with Guy Scott