Tikondwe Kaphagawani Chimkowola
•Certificate of Human Rights and Gender Justice Trainer (Faculty of Law, Chancellor College/ Gender and Justice Legal Clinic)
•Gender and Sexuality trainer of trainers- Women and Law in Southern Africa Malawi
- Award:Outstanding Young ActivistAwarding Organization:UN Women MalawiDate Awarded:March 18, 2018
- Award:Best Young Women's Short StoryAwarding Organization:Malawi Writer's UnionDate Awarded:April 13, 2018
Through the SRHR Africa Trust we have engaged and trained 200 young people and 10 community leaders in Kang'oma Traditional Authority on the importance of Young People's access to family planning, existing policies and guidelines on youth SRH service and myth debunking. The 200 young people were youth club leaders who are to train club members in advocacy for demand.
Through the same initiative we have constructed a Youth Friendly Health Facility at the local health centre where young people can access information and services on family planning and general sexual reproductive health with a specially trained practitioner.
Through the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning, I have managed to set up 4 Community Youth Health Clubs across rural and peri-urban areas in Lilongwe.
My friend was pregnant at age 12 when I was 9 years old. In secondary school most of my friends continued to drop out due to early & unintended pregnancies despite learning about family planning in class. I then realised I lived in a society who deemed talking about sex & family planning taboo which means a lot of young people are ignorant. So I stole my mother's , who is a nurse, handbooks to widen my knowledge & share it with my peers in our dormitory back in school. But that wasn't enough!
I pursue independent community projects. This requires me to assemble other young people that are interested in the cause, train them & guide them with drafting action plans, monitor & evaluate their progress.
In some instances I liaise between youth groups & organisations interested in partnerships.
Now that I work for central government, I make sure the young people's voice is heard in all policy formulation and i share policies for us to be aware of our entitlements
The platform will enable me to liaise with a multitude of stakeholders that can aid in expanding my current work.
Regarding the monetary prize, I want to establish 6 more Youth Health Clubs in Mangochi and Nkhata-Bay where child marriage, early pregnancies and harmful cultural practices are highly prevalent. Since family planning services are free the resources will be channelled to capacity building for awareness, mobilisation and advocacy for service,demand and infrastructural support.
