Enhancing Girls Education and Employability Skills through sports
In Zambia, just like most parts in the Southern Africa, the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is high and a prominent issue in social, political, and cultural discourse. In 2018, teenage pregnancy was estimated at 29.2%, making Zambia one of the countries with significantly high prevalence of teenage pregnancy among Sub-Sahara African countries.
Adolescence is the transitional period from childhood to adulthood, accompanied by physical, psychological and emotional changes. Young girls often transition from childhood to adulthood with the onset of menarche, which marks the beginning of the initiation process in readiness for marriage among certain cultures in Zambia. During this period, many young people begin experimenting and engaging in sexual activities. Adolescent pregnancy, defined as pregnancy in girls aged between 10 and 19 years of age is often an unfortunate offshoot of such sexual experimentation.
Adolescent pregnancy remains a key public health and development concern globally, especially in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICS). It is estimated that approximately 16 million girls aged 15–19 years, as well as an additional one (1) million below 15 years, give birth in LMICs. Adolescent pregnancy has detrimental and far-reaching consequences for the majority of adolescent girls for the rest of their lives as it perpetuates poverty, deprives them of education, increases health risks and girl-child vulnerabilities while at the same time putting them in harm’s way and exposing them to violence and poverty. In the result, adolescent pregnancy may have negative and unintended knock-on effects on many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
The prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in Africa remains rather unacceptably high. For instance, a recent systematic review indicated that the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy was 18.8% in Africa as a whole, and 19.3% in sub-Saharan Africa. Zambia, as indicated below, undoubtedly has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), conceivably with a significant attenuating effect on socio-economic development, riding on the fact that adolescents are a significant age group constituting 24% of the total population of Zambia. Over the last five years, the rate of adolescent pregnancy has remained very high at 29.2%, with at least 35% of young girls in rural areas giving birth before, or by, the age of 18 years according to the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS). There are significant rural-urban variations in adolescent pregnancies in Zambia, with rural areas having an average of 37% compared to 17% in urban areas. These averages potentially mask realities on the ground as some rural areas have adolescent pregnancy rates as high as 42.5% and 39.5% in North-western and Eastern Provinces respectively. Adolescent pregnancy is partly responsible for the high total fertility rate of 4.7 per woman and rapid population growth rate of 2.8% thus contributing about 20% of the total fertility rate in Zambia.
North Western Province alone recorded a rise in teenage pregnancies among school going girls. The province recorded 2,059 cases of teenage pregnancies in 2022 compared to 1,699 in 2021. This means about 2,059 girls were out of school in 2022.
Globally, sports such as football acts as a mobilization too to bring people together regardless of their religion, economic background, cultural and or political affiliation. Secondly besides relaying important educational and health messages that benefits the community, it also helps to promote healthy of the participants. Sports has been and continued to be a major event in the world. The different sports discipline have resulted to skill development in many nations across the globe and has contributed in enriching individuals and families. Besides, sport in general and football in particular have emerged as a single unifying factor, even in the moment of political, ethnic and socio-religious tension and feuds. Nations across the world have united behind this game. Football has bridged racial divide and brought people of other nation into a union of oneness.
The girls in Solwezi district are lacking in both recreational facilities and equipment to play sports hence engaging themselves in bad vices such as alcohol drinking, drug abuse and sexual immoralities. Girls are the most vulnerable to social problems caused by idleness and sport and mentorship is a sure way to meaningfully engaged and support the girls in today’s rapidly changing world. Because of idleness, it has become an increasing concern that much of the youth are being forced into life of crime.
Deeper insight into all these issues reveals that lack of social amenities among the youth especially girls is a contributing factor. These amenities include sporting activities. It is for this reason that an improved sporting environment is being sought as part of the education program for girls.
Currently, CCCYD is implementing a girls mentorship program in partnership with the Global G.L.O.W to help girls realize their worthy and advocate for themselves and most importantly helping girls become responsible citizen of the community and the country at large
The Aim of the Project is to contribute to the reduction of teenage pregnancies and child marriage in Northwestern province of Zambia by enhancing girls’ education and employability skills through sports.
The overall goal of the project using the current Girls Glow Club mentorship program as the vehicle to promote health through youth participation in football while ensuring many health and social benefits inherent in sporting activity form greater outcomes beyond sporting arena into everyday life by;
Providing Girls in Solwezi district with role models for participation in both sports activities and mentorship . Improving Girls education enrolment at public schools through mentorship and sports Help vulnerable girls both in and out of school with employable skills that can help them sustain their lives such as tailoring, cutting and design, Knitting, deco and event management and encourage girls to also participate in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program.
To build capacity of and girls mentors and volunteers who will help in the running and coordinating of football activities in the community.
To provide appropriate infrastructure in order to advance football, recreation and physical activity at our community centre in Solwezi District. Contribute to the eradication of teenage pregnancies and child marriages in Northwestern province of Zambia through the promotion mentorship, education and sports.
The Project will include the following components
Component of Mass health campaigns on specific issues affecting the community before, during and after the matches. Use of the Club?s training and administrative facilities for the conduct of certain community engagement activities such as member and fan days, junior training clinics, gala days, award nights. Improving the club?s facilities; infrastructure and equipment to accommodate both sporting activities and health campaigns, Expanding our teams to include women?s team and introducing a nursery team for men?s football. Acquiring of transportation modalities
The project aims at fundraising for girls sports and employable skills for sustainable development in Solwezi District of Zambia
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