ByCCJP’s Project Officer (Mangochi)
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace for Mangochi Diocese carried out a sensitization meeting with district assemblies and their members of parliament on enhanced citizen participation for accountable and responsive governance a couple of days ago in Mangochi district.
Speaking at the sensitization meeting the project officer Patrick Kumbuyo bemoaned the dwindling standards of education in the district. Kumbuyo said that “high school dropout is aggravated by most video operators in the district who conduct their businesses in the morning hours and this prevents most youths from going to school.” He advised Councilors and other relevant stakeholders to swiftly formulate by-laws hindering operation of video shows in the morning.
In his remarks, the national coordinator for the project, Martin Chiphwanya stressed that members of parliament and councilors must always be responsive as duty bearers in addressing governance issues affecting their areas. Chiphwanya warned that lack of accountability by duty bearers prevents the grassroots from actively participate in governance. He stressed that quality education is a key to building a generation that is active in governance issues.
School dropout particularly among girls in Mangochi is still high due to early marriages. Youngl girls are often married to prominent business men looking for economic favours. Speaking in the meeting, honourable Ralph Jooma (MP) asked fellow duty bearers to actively assist both materially and morally such dropouts so as to combat high levels of illiteracy in the district.
CCJP Mangochi is implementing a 5year project on “enhanced citizen participation for accountable and responsive governance” funded by Tilitonse. Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace is implementing this project in T/A Mponda and Nankumba in Mangochi District with a focus on dwindling standards of education while in Balaka District it is being implemented in T/A Msamala and Nkaya with special advocacy for safe and clean water in the district.