UNFPA ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING – BLANTYRE
NOVEMBER 19TH – 22ND
On the 18th of November, I had the opportunity to go to Blantyre on official business on behalf of Nurses, and Midwives Council of Malawi (NMCM), representing the Director of Education.
What is UNFPA?
[i]UNFPA’, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programs to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. UNFPA supports a number of organizations in implementing projects around the world, particularly in the developing countries.
I presented on behalf of our Director of Education to a delegation of over 100. I was also became the timekeeper for the review meeting ensuring we start on time and finish on time. Time keeping is a challenge in Malawi. There is African time and Malawian time, not much different. Only difference the Malawian will add an extra further half an hour and arriving slowly, slowly, Pang’ono, Pang’ono! As we say in Chichewa. Our meeting each day started at 8.30am, however, 8.30 is the time we will find some delegates entering the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I had the unfortunate task of going round the restaurant reminding delegates the meeting has started, hurrying their breakfasts. Ah the Malawian delegates love to eat, breakfast comprised of fresh fruits salads, continental breakfast to fried breakfasts of eggs, omelets, chips, porridge, cornflakes etc. Our Malawian delegates will have everything on display for breakfast. I could just manage the fruit salad and coffee for breakfast. Then at 10 am more cakes, and all things fattening. Lunch at 12 noon another large meal, starters, main course and desserts. I saved my main course for supper. Supper not provided by the organises.
There were a number of interesting projects presented at the UNFPA Annual Review Meeting. I found all the projects presented to be inspiring and interesting, but the two that caught my attention were a project, working with sex workers and the police in Mangochi, and the other working with interfaith leaders to stamp out forced marriages, violence against women.
In brief of the two inspiring projects;
It was noted members of the police force, wife/husbands were dying and no one could figure out at first why and what was killing them, it transpired they were dying of HIV/AIDS. Police service as a whole is a mobile occupation and in Malawi, the prevalence of the police abusing and seeking sexual favours from sex workers is high. Some members of the police service harassing, abusing the sex workers (prostitutes) and forcing them into having sex as sexual favours, and as a result of such activity contracting HIV leading to AIDS. It is a sad state of affair for police officers and others like them to use sex to punish, abuse such vulnerable people in society. One would have thought police officers engaging in such activities with sex workers would have the common sense to use condom! I guess these officers were not thinking straight and as result contracted HIV/AIDS, and sadly, affecting and afflicting pain and suffering on their wives/husbands and children.
The moral of the story, if you are a police officer, male or female don’t abuse or punish sex workers by exerting your power authority over them and forcefully having sex with them. (The punishment is death, and sadly affecting and afflicting sadness on families and children). They are human beings just like you and I, treat them kindly and respectfully, it is not by choice that they do the kind of work they do.
The project has trained 250 police officers and a further 110 as peer educators. 140 spouses of police officers trained around HIV/AID and in STIs. Since inception of the project death rate among police officers has gone down from 80 to 50 within the two/three years.
The other project talking to faith leaders to stamp out forced marriages. Young girls as young as 13/14 years of age forced to marry 30 old plus year old men. Men old enough to be their father/grandfather. A very sad state of affair, this is abuse. What does a girl of thirteen know about love, marriage and sex? Sadly, these girls know nothing. Unfortunately for these girls are put in a position of being abused, physically, emotionally, rape and forced sex by their husbands and often dying during or after childbirth. This cultural practice of young brides and forced marriages should be stamped out. These girls are no longer able to continue with their education, creating an illiterate society, and poverty. Forced marriage in essence is the shifting of responsibility and burden to another. The two causes society, to becomes exclusive, rather than inclusive, widening the gap between education, poverty and those who have and can afford to educate their children. Education should be free for all regardless of race, colour, sex or social standing in society. My observation of Malawi so far is it is a country that promotes exclusiveness and not very inclusive, a real shame and pity.
Other projects including working with women, youth, gender equality, violence against women & children, fistula repair, maternal deaths and male involvements.
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