An organization operating under the name Youth Action For Success and Development (YASD) says it has managed to reduce gender based violence perpetrated by poverty through a project called Local Green Innovation Project (LOGIC).
Through the project, at least 160 women and youths have been imparted with knowledge on how they can earn a living through environmental friendly innovations.
YASD executive director, Edward Chidombe Msiska has told ProjectM in an interview that among others, selected women and youths from Lilongwe and Dedza districts have been imparted with knowledge on how they can manufacture organic fertilizer from Urine, produce charcoal briquettes using saw dust and other waste materials and how they can earn money through the sell of tree seedlings.
According to Chidombe Msiska, participants in the project have reported a decrease in gender related violence perpetrated by poverty.
“For instance, some of our participants from townships such as Mtandile in Lilongwe have reported a significant change in how they are being treated in their communities, a development they think has come after they started earning a living,” Msiska said.
Msiska has since advised concerned stakeholders to be innovative in dealing with gender based violence, saying time has come for women and youths to be empowered.
“Most of the women we have worked with in the LOGIC project have indicated that financial challenges in the past have been forcing them to fail report gender based violence for fear of losing their husbands or their main source of income,” said Msiska.
One youth from Traditional Authority Chitukula in Lilongwe, Kaitano Moya, has agreed with Msiska, saying the green skills which he leant from LOGIC have greatly propelled him forward financially and socially.
“Through the production of crystalized urine fertilizer and farming, my financial status has improved, a development that has also improved my social status as I am now being respected than in the past,” said Moya.
Meanwhile, women and youth rights activist, Rabson Woodwell has concurred with Msiska, adding that concerned stakeholders should adopt initiatives such as LOGIC project as nation joins the rest of the globe in commemorating sixteen days of activism against gender based violence.
The commemoration, which runs from the 25th of November to the 10th of December every year, was set aside by the United Nations to give countries an opportunity to do a postmortem on how they are performing in ending cases of gender based violence.
