KaLanga SRHR (Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights)
Italian donor donates over E1 million to SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini towards a Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) project for Siteki Kalanga communities.
La Pina a renowned radio personality in Italy, accompanied by her cousin, Sofia Viscardi, donated over E1 MILLION (72,280 Euros) in support of sexual reproductive health for hard to reach communities in the vicinity of KaLanga. La pina who visited Eswatini in 2017 had promised to fundraise through her football friends and associates in Italy for this project. Her promise has been. Courtesy of SOS Children’s Villages Italy, La Pina brought with her a journalist and photographer from a reputable Italian Newspaper, and a Communications Specialist from SOS Children’s Villages Italy. During her official check handover to SOS Children’s Villages Eswatini, she pledged her love for the Swazi child and promised that she will do more to ensure the project raises additional money to ensure its success.
During the day La Pina and her delegation spent time with children and families in the SOS Children’s Villages Siteki KaLanga programme as well as the community of KaLanga. Later that evening the delegation was hosted to cultural dance and music which ended with a dinner at Mantenga Cultural Village. The dinner was graced by the Dr Simon Zwane Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the members of the Board of Govenors of SOS CV, Mr Theo Hlophe and Judge Doris Tshabalala. The Board acknolwedged the contribution of the Italian delegation and assured them that the money would reach its intended purpose. When receiving the donation, Dr. Zwane said that the donation could not have come at a better time as the country still faces challenges regarding the sexual reproductive health of children and youth. He further challenged other government partners and individuals to come forward and support the country in its mandate to ensure a healthy young generation.
Why SRH in KaLanga Siteki and how did it start?
The project came about as a result of the a global leadership giving campaign pioneered by SOS International which targeted at high net worth individuals like La Pina to support in enabling marginalised African children to reach their full potential in life. The goal was to address some of the gaps and challenges children and young people navigate in. A preliminary assessment of the project showed that in the KaLanga SOS Siteki Programme there is a rising number of teenage pregnancies within the communities resulting in school drop-outs, incidents of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The constituency has 18 schools consisting of 11 primary and 7 secondary/high schools which are mostly in deeply rural areas. Many of the children are and youth are exposed to unprotected sex which then results in early pregnancy. This indicates that young people are lack information and skills in negotiating safe sex and barriers with discussing SRH issues with their parents and partners.
To close these gaps SOS CV will partner with the communities, Schools Health Program, Good Shephard Hospital and SOS Siteki Health Centre, PSI, Public Health Unit and FLAS to take forward the SRHR agenda with especially the adolescents who are at the critical age of being exposed to early unprotected sex. Through these partnerships, the programme aims to implement social mobilization activities in and out of school in order to reach at least 2200 children and youth aged 15-24 by 2024.