My name is Faith Phiri and I am 30 years old. I am a founder and Program Director for Girls Empowerment Network in Malawi. I am so passionate for the young people more especially girls and young women who are most of the times victim of abuse, sexual exploitation and lack adequate education on SEXUALITY and HIV/Aids.

Most girls targeted in this campaign are denied of the opportunity to higher education and are forced to premature marriages and get married to elderly men who had had multiple sexual partners. Unfortunately their marriages do not last long and are dumped and left with big responsibilities of caring for their siblings. Sex becomes a means of survival for these girls and this again increases probable to HIV exposure. This campaign will also target in school girls so that they are adequately skilled and be able to make wise choices and decisions.

This campaign intends to reach 50 girls as direct beneficiaries and 500 girls indirectly.

Project Progress (15-30 June 2008)
1. Establishment of three girls clubs.
Three clubs has been established so far and these are Manja volunteer girls club, Misesa young women for change and Che Nsomba club. Members of these clubs will be involved in voluntarism and will be recruited as peer educators. The trained Peer Educators will be expected to reach out to more girls and young women on HIV/Aids issues, sexuality, gender and women’s right.

2. Planning meetings.
Planning sessions have been taking place with girls involved in this project and community members (parents and local leadership). Basically this activity was aimed at identifying information gaps and better understands sexual and reproductive health needs of girls.