Luketekelo foundation and The republic of Zambia acting through the Ministry of Health have  signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU).A initiative campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and child marriage in North western province that will create awareness through multiple platforms of the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy and Child marriages that can include comprehensive sex education, HIV/STI prevention, youth development, service learning, programs for pregnant and parenting teens, abstinence approaches, or combinations.

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Teen pregnancy and child marriage , in particular, is among the most pervasive problems affecting the health, social, economic, and political progress and empowerment of young women and girls in Zambia especially in North Western. This issue is alarming: it is indicated that more than one third of all pregnancies involves teenage girls  of age 10 to 14   and up to 22 % maternal deaths occur among them. And Just  recent Statistics obtained by the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) reports reveals that 17,000 girls drops out of school every year on average Countrywide. And according to statistics obtained from the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) a total of 14,682 teenage pregnancies were reported of young girls between the age of 10-19 years between January and June 2022 in Zambia  .

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This cannot be the future that we prepare for our daughters.

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Methods

 We will work with trained, local high school students to present information to middle school youth in realistic and authentic ways, expanding student comprehension of the material.

The high school students  will be  trained in public presentation and group facilitation to present a series of four classroom sessions on the following topics:

Risks of Early Sexual Involvement
Social and Media Pressures
Peer Pressures
Assertiveness Techniques to Avoid Unwanted Situations
The Peer Educators follow a script that includes video segments presenting real-life scenarios. Working in teams, they lead a guided discussion to help students think about potential issues, situations, and consequences based on what choices are made.

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Objective

1.To  empower, educate, and motivate adolescents to make informed decisions for their sexual health.

2.To give young people the knowledge, skills, and confidence to protect their health, build positive relationships, and expand opportunities for their future.

3.To inspire young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health, relationships, and life choices in ways that respect their voice and encourage them to reach their potential.

4.To reduce the rate of child marriages and Teen pregnancies' by the end of 2025 by 90 %.

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Luketekelo Foundation has initiated a process that aims at mobilizing all concerned partners that includes partnering  with schools, parents, Legal aid, social workers and counsellors,Media,community leaders, church leaders, caring adults, and young people to provide quality sexual health education to adolescents without judgment, shame, blame, or guilt and private sectors  in Lusaka and   North Western  with the efforts to target adolescents and young people. 

Considering that  child marriage and teen pregnancy are complex issues with multiple causes and diverse consequences.

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https://youtu.be/nyZ5Gru8lEQ?si=Nm6UH0y5GrEkRKwF

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Change is possible, Girls hold the key to a society without poverty, with the right skills and opportunities, they can invest in themselves now, and later, in their families. 

If they can stay in school, postpone marriage, delay the family formation, and build their capacity. They will have more time to prepare for adulthood and participate in the labor force before taking on the responsibility of parenting.

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Today ,53.4 % of the population in Zambia is under 18 years of age. This new generation can be educated, stay healthy and one day contribute to the economic and social development of this country
This strategy presents a multisectoral approach to empowering adolescents and young people, particularly girls. It involves all the key stakeholders and presents simple but ambitious solutions to prevent teenage pregnancy. But beyond that, it is a commitment that we must  make for the younger generations.

Slogans: I want to be of changing the world  not diapers
 
Programs will be provided in schools, clinics, and community settings and the  targeted will be pre-adolescents, adolescents, teens who are abstinent, or teens who are sexually active and providing a platform for dialogue and resources for teens who are already parents without shaming, blaming and stigmatizing them.
 
Programs will cover a range of behaviors and attitudes and mindset change as well as social transformation.