• Total cost of the project is 3.7 million Canadian Dollars.
• It’s being funded by the Canadian Government through Global Affairs.
• Implementation in Zambia started in 2019.

Oxfam Zambia says it targets to reach 40, 000 adolescent girls and young women by 2022 under a program dubbed ‘Her Future, Her Choice project,’ being implemented in Chisamba, Chibombo, Namwala, and Itezhi-tezhi districts.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of an interaction meeting between the Media and stakeholders implementing the project in Chibombo District of Central Province, Organization Women’s Rights Program Manager Chama Mwandalesa said the project, whose total cost is 3.7 million Canadian Dollars, started in 2019 and is being funded by the Canadian Government through Global Affairs.

Mrs. Mwandalesa revealed that the project is being executed in four countries which include Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

She said the main objective of the Her Future, Her Choice project is to improve the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of adolescent girls and young women aged between 10 to 24 years.

“Her Future, Her Choice project started being implemented in Zambia in 2019 and its being implemented in four countries that’s Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Ethiopia with funding from Global Affairs Canada.”

“The purpose of the project is to improve the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of adolescent girls and young women in Chibombo, Namwala, Chisamba, and Itezhi-tezhi districts,” Mrs. Mwandalesa said.

She however said the Organization has faced numerous challenges in implementing the project due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but expressed hope that the work will be completed as planned.

Mrs. Mwandalesa stressed the need for government to allocate more resources towards sexual reproductive health services across the country in light of the pandemic.

“The project is in its third year but we have faced quite a number of challenges because of Covid which has really limited the number of activities that we could implement,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mwandalesa disclosed that the organization has trained a number of Peer Educators and Health service providers to build their capacity with regards to the provision of adolescent health care services.

“We have working relationships with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and we are also working at the local level with Women’s Rights organizations and Peer Educators. To date we can speak of having trained Peer Educators in multiple facilities where we are working and also Health service providers,” Mrs. Mwandalesa added.