Hi, I’m Memory Grace Mangisha the Executive Director at Luketekelo orphanage Foundation. I’m in Mufumbwe and wanted to share news from the ground.
It’s hot and dusty, and so far, it’s been an emotional few days. I’ve seen the challenges young people face to get an education and navigate many challenges through their teenage years.
Right now, early pregnancies and early marriages are big concerns for our community and this teen mother standing with me is another example of the challenges we want to Disrupt the cycle of poverty by building a vocational training center so that she can gain a vocational skill and be able to take care of herself and the child . Many teen mothers are drop outs and they have so much desire to go back to school or learn a Vocational skill after they give birth , but they don't have this opportunity as there is no vocational training center in the District and schools are far from their villages and that has resulted many teens to having to get married early.
It’s been so heart-warming and heartbreaking all at the same time!
What hit me even more, was the determination and drive of these young children I met. To overcome these challenges, especially this young teen mother and this little girl who truly want a good education, to build confidence, and to avoid pregnancy so she can become a young woman with more choices and dreams for her future. And the boy said "he wants to be a soldier so that he can protect his family".
The boys I met are driven to finish grade 12, explore career options and learn how to navigate the many challenges that come their way, including substance abuse.
It’s been so heart-warming and heartbreaking all at the same time!
I experienced first-hand when l had a deep conversation with these young people and how they want to make different choices. Our planned Vocational training Centre (formally known as The women empowerment Centre) will drastically improve these services and give support to thousands of young people and encourage them to work towards a future of prosperity and health. Holding Workshops which cover reproductive health, building confidence to make good choices, gender equality, Sustainable skills, counseling services, and career options will all be valuable.
In December we started stumping out trees from our foundation farm,and just the overwhelming support we got from these young boys gave me an indication that this training center is really urgent and needed in this district of North Western (Mufumbwe).
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