How SRH clubs are empowering Rukwa girls to stay in school

Schoolgirls in Rukwa Region consider themselves lucky to have clubs focused on preventing teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

These clubs create a safe space for the girls to openly discuss their concerns while providing psychological and social support to help them navigate the challenges they encounter. 

Established in public schools through a collaboration between stakeholders and the government, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) clubs play a vital role in educating young girls about their rights, the importance of education, and the consequences of teenage pregnancy and early marriage.

In interviews with The Citizen, girls shared how these clubs have greatly helped them build self-awareness and self-worth, leading to a significant reduction in teen pregnancies and forced marriages. 

"We now know our rights and understand the importance of education over early marriage," Saada Juma, a secondary school student, said. "Through these clubs, we learn how to protect ourselves and avoid temptations that can lead to teenage pregnancy."

SRH clubs collaborate with a range of stakeholders, including the government, Youth Education through Sports Tanzania (YESTZ), and parents—who are all dedicated to ensuring girls receive a quality education and grow up in safe, supportive environments.

The 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) reports a teenage pregnancy rate of 30 percent in the region, with girls in vulnerable, particularly rural environments, being most affected. Long walks to school increase the risk of teen pregnancy and child marriage, as students face various temptations along the way.

Efforts to reduce teen pregnancies include reproductive health education, the creation of school clubs that empower youth to protect themselves, and collaboration between the government and stakeholders through various interventions.

The Child, Early, and Forced Marriages (CEFM) project, launched in 2020, set a goal to reduce teen pregnancies by 35 percent by 2024—a target that has already been achieved.

One of the reasons this has been possible is that schools under the project provide education on sexual and reproductive health and self-protection measures.

The source of the problem

It has been noted that cultural traditions and customs contribute to the increase in teenage pregnancies and child marriages in Rukwa.

"Rukwa is surrounded by lakes Rukwa and Tanganyika, which are key drivers of the regional and national economy. Some parents in the lakeside areas send girls to cook for fishermen, either to earn an income or assist relatives involved in fishing," Beatrice Kingu, the Director of YESTZ and coordinator of the Child, Early, and Forced Marriages (CEFM) project, told The Citizen.

She said the practice often leads to early marriages and pregnancies as the girls encounter various temptations and eventually enter into relationships. She also mentioned customs such as the Chagulaga tradition of the Sukuma tribe, which involves adult men marrying young girls, hence cutting their education short.

“The Chagulaga tradition involves adult men choosing young girls and taking them far from their parents under special agreements, leading to early marriages,” Kingu explained.

As part of the CEFM project, which ends this year, 241 students who had dropped out of school for various reasons were re-enroled between 2019 and 2021. The project has also reached 786 teachers in 152 schools, providing them with education on reproductive health, life skills, and gender equality.

Following CEFM’s success in combating teen pregnancy and child marriage, the Sumbawanga District Council calls upon the government and other stakeholders to establish SRH clubs in all the schools in the district.

The project has seen a reduction in teenage pregnancies in the district, with cases dropping from eight in 2020/21 to just one this year.

Sumbawanga District Education Officer and Head of the Early Childhood and Primary Education Division, Patricia Mpewa, said that SRH clubs have contributed to reducing early pregnancies and dropout rates. She noted that the teen pregnancy rate has dropped in schools with SRH clubs.

According to her, during the 2022-2023 academic year, 2,519 students dropped out of school for various reasons, including 1,338 boys and 1,181 girls.

"The Sumbawanga District Council has implemented various strategies to reduce or eliminate student dropouts. One such strategy involves improving the learning and teaching environments," explained Mpewa.

She shared that the district has been running the CEFM funded by Plan International Tanzania since 2020. According to her, out of the 27 wards in the district, only nine are under the project. She suggested expanding the SRH clubs to all primary schools to reach more students.

“The project has shown promising results,” she noted. "For instance, in 2020/21, eight pregnancies were recorded in primary schools. By 2022/23, the number dropped to three, and so far this year, only one pregnancy has been reported."

Mpewa highlighted several challenges faced by the district, including the total enrolment of 108,128 students—55,839 boys and 52,289 girls. She said while the district currently has 931 classrooms, there is a need for 2,236, resulting in a shortage of 1,305 classrooms.

“In 2024, the district council was allocated Sh338 million from the central government for the construction of 11 classrooms and 24 latrines. We are grateful to the government for prioritising this," Mpewa said.

The district also faces a shortage of 16,508 desks, with only 20,021 available, resulting in overcrowded classrooms where six students often share a single desk.

“We appreciate the government's effort to include desks when building classrooms. The council has produced 825 desks for the 2023/24 academic year to help reduce overcrowding,” Mpewa added.

Sumbawanga District Education Officer, Fanikio Bitende, highlighted the project's success in reducing teen pregnancies and forced marriages since its implementation. She said that while there were 20 pregnancies between 2019 and 2020, the number went down to 11 in 2021, six in 2022, and only three more recently.

Bitende pointed out that in areas such as Uchile, Ilema, and Kapeta, things have improved significantly.

“Teachers have been equipped with reproductive health education and life skills, and they have in turn established clubs to educate students on preventing pregnancy and violence,” she explained.

She called on the government to review and update the 1971 Marriage Act, noting that its enforcement has been inconsistent, especially concerning child marriage.

Wisman Cheyo, an academic teacher at Kisalala Primary School, shared that since the implementation of the project, students have become more enthusiastic about learning, particularly on issues related to abuse prevention. He noted that children are now more aware of how to recognise and report abuse.

Leonard Mpasa, head teacher of Laela 'A' Primary School, explained that the school's SRH club has been instrumental in educating students about the dangers of teen pregnancy, child marriage, and violence.

He noted that these lessons are delivered weekly, mainly on Mondays, and that their impact has started to extend to neighbouring communities.