PREVENTING SGBV IN SCHOOLS

In 2019, Theatre for a Change started implementing a new project in partnership with GIZ, the German government’s international development agency. The project focuses on improving the ability of teachers to protect primary school children from sexual and gender-based violence in flood-affected areas of Southern Malawi. Over the next two years, we will train 320 teachers to work with 2,400 children in 40 flood-prone schools.

This project was designed in response to the devastating flooding experienced by Malawi in 2019, where in addition to loss of homes and livelihoods, women and girls faced a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

We are training pre-service and in-service teachers to understand, prevent and respond to SGBV, particularly in the context of flood emergencies. Our intensive training programmes are taking place across four Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) and 10 schools.

Once trained, these teachers go on to set up and deliver Girls’ Clubs in 40 of the most vulnerable and flood-prone schools. These clubs use theatre, participatory learning and Interactive Radio Drama to explore gender rights, SGBV and to encourage and support girls to report abuse.

We are working in partnership with the Psychosocial Trust who will provide complementary training to teachers and communities on psychosocial resilience and disaster response management.

Theatre for a Change brings a change in learners and the learners can bring change in their families and their communities.

Pre-Service Teacher, Blantyre Teacher Training College