The local leaders who have been given certificates are from areas where GENET is implementing a project dubbed ‘Spotlight Initiative’ with funding from European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN).

These are; Traditional Authorities (TAs) Chiwele, Dzoole, Mkukula, Mponela and Msakambewa and have been given certificates.

GENET Spotlight Initiative Project Coordinator, Twambilire Kayuni said that her organization decided to honour the chiefs as one way of appreciating them for taking part in promoting girls’ rights.

“The chiefs, we have honoured have been of great support in as far as promotion of girls’ rights is concerned in the district. We decided to honour them by giving them certificates as one way of appreciating their work,” she said.

Through the Spotlight Initiative project in Dowa district, in the year 2020 GENET introduced a mentorship program called ‘Safe space mentorship’ which among other things is seeking to empower girls with knowledge regarding their human rights in the district.

With a safe space mentorship programme, the chiefs have been great key to the success of the programme, according to Kayuni.

“Through our safe space mentorship programme, the chiefs have assisted us in identifying mentors and they have helped us in making sure that the girls are attending the mentorship sessions very well. In short, the chiefs have been great key to the success of the programme,” she viewed.

TA Dzoole said that chiefs in the country play a great role in community development, but most of the times their works are not recognized.

“As chiefs, we do great work in as far as the development of the country is concerned but our works are mostly not recognized. Therefore, I am pleased with what GENET has done for recognizing the work which we are doing to promote the rights of girls,” he explained.

Inkosi Chiwele expressed excitement for being recognized for his work.

“I am very happy to receive the certificate of recognition from GENET, I did not expect that my work would someday be recognized,” he hinted said.

Apart from honouring the chiefs, GENET graduated 1,500 girls from the district under a safe space mentorship programme.

Written By: Moses Nyirenda-MANA