GVH Mikate- As Chiefs, we must address harmful cultural practices that hinder girls’ education
Chipembere Community Development Organization has intensified efforts to end rising cases of early marriages and teenage pregnancies among school girls, following an increase in school dropouts at Mikate Community Day Secondary School under Traditional Authority Maganiza.
In the past eight months, from September 2025 to April 2026, 15 girls have dropped out of secondary school due to marriage and pregnancy, a rise from five cases recorded during the 2024–2025 academic year, according to the school’s Headteacher, Louis Nkhoma.
“We have recorded 15 girls dropping out within this period, mainly due to early marriages and pregnancies. This rise is a worrying trend for us as a school,” he said.
The situation is also affecting primary schools. Mikate Primary School Head teacher Oscar Sikani revealed that two Standard 8 learners expected to sit for national examinations have already dropped out.
“We had prepared these learners for their final examinations, but losing them at this stage due to marriage and pregnancy is a serious setback not only for the school, but for society too,” said Sikani.
The concerns were raised during an interface meeting organized by Chipembere Community Development Organization (CCDO), which brought together chiefs, police officers, teachers and community leaders to find solutions.
Nkhoma attributed the trend to weak parental guidance and economic challenges.
“Most of our girls are left without proper parental supervision during adolescence. This makes them vulnerable to early relationships.
When basic needs are not met at home, some girls are pushed into survival behaviours that compromise their education,” he added.
During the meeting, stakeholders agreed to strengthen and enforce community bylaws to protect the girl child. Under the revised measures, parents whose children drop out due to marriage or pregnancy will be fined two goats to the school and one goat to the village head among other.
Group Village Headman Mikate said cultural practices are also contributing to the problem.
“As chiefs, we must address harmful cultural practices that hinder girls’ education. These bylaws must be enforced without fear or favour if we are to protect the future of our girls,” he said.
Bvumbwe Police Community Policing Coordinator John Billy said the police will work closely with community structures to ensure that all forms of abuse against children are addressed and that perpetrators are brought to book.
CCDO Executive Director Dalitso Chiwayula stressed the importance of protecting girls’ right to education through collective action.
“Our goal is to ensure that every girl has equal access to education by protecting them from abuse and supporting them through initiatives such as bursaries,” he explained.
Chiwayula revealed that CCDO is currently supporting 30 secondary school learners in Thyolo and Mulanje, as well as 200 primary school pupils through its bursary program, an intervention aimed at easing financial challenges on vulnerable families.
Some of the stakeholders following up on discussions at the meeting.