North-Central: The Pugsada association takes stock of its fight against child marriage

The Pugsada Support and Awareness Association (ADEP), in partnership with Plan International Burkina, held, on Friday, an annual review workshop on the activities carried out by its Choisir project. who and when to marry (CHAM) in the North-Central region.

Launched in June 2020, for a period of 40 months (June 2020-September 2023), in the Centre-North, Centre-East and South-West regions, the CHAM (Choose who and when to marry) project is coming to fruition. END. At the time of the assessment, several activities have been carried out in these intervention areas.

Thus, for the North-Central region, the achievements made were positively appreciated by all the stakeholders in the said project during an annual review workshop, the third of its kind, since the implementation of the project.

The national coordinator of the Pugsada Support and Awareness Association (ADEP), Afsétou Lamizana, indicated that in terms of capacity building and awareness, the project was able to raise awareness of the negative consequences of marriage. children (ME) by adolescents, young people and their parents.

“Among the activities carried out, there is also the social and economic empowerment of adolescents and young people, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and mothers of children,” she added.

In the string of achievements made, Ms. Lamizana listed the increase in decision-making power and self-esteem of adolescents and young people, the training of 55 adolescents and young people in professions and income-generating activities (AGR) that are promising and to renewable energies.

She also notes the establishment of communication between parents and children in couples through intergenerational dialogue, the establishment of 24 community savings groups, and the attendance of health centers by adolescents and young people.

The executive director of ADEP, Yvette Tiendrebéogo, discussed the training of 30 sponsors/facilitators of safe spaces and school clubs, the production of 15 sketches in schools and community safe spaces during special events.

Regarding the difficulties encountered on the operational level, Afsétou Lamizana, mentioned the large number of adolescents and young people outside of schools and without activities, the weak capacity of the project to meet the needs of targeted groups in terms of training in AGR and the persistence of beliefs, values or social, cultural and religious norms contrary to the rights of children and girls.

On an organizational level, she noted the difficulties of adapting the budget to the realities on the ground which leads to rearrangements.

This is why the national coordinator of ADEP urged the financial partner, Plan International Burkina to continue funding to enable the strengthening of the gains made on the ground for the well-being of the beneficiaries.

The project coordinator at Plan International Burkina, Adama Aguindé reassured that there is hope for the renewal of the said project.

“It is a project which was financed by a partner, Plan Germany. And so, we are in the negotiation process to see what can be done,” he stressed. No matter, he said he was counting on the regional players in the project to consolidate the gains made.

Source: Burkina Information Agency