The Centre for Girls & Interaction (CEGI), is a non-profit organization working in the northern region of Malawi, which focuses on creating access to information on issues affecting young women and girls. They do this though networking and interactions, advocacy and documentation.

Mission

CEGI's mission is to mobilize young women and girls to achieve their full potential and meet their needs through promotion of girl’s participation and interaction for change. CEGI evisions a healthy, productive and aesthetic environment for women and girls. An environment, where men and women can flourish and have a sense of belonging, with equitable and adequate distribution of resources.

They aim to promote equalite, human trafficking awareness and sensitization, awarenes on womens rights and services available (i.e. reproductive health, education, and training).  CEGI seeks to empower local communities and women in particular to self sufficiency using integrated approaches to income generation that contribute to poverty reduction and build relationships and collaborate on projects that promotes and disseminates the important voices of young women and girls.
 
CEGI functions on the values of people centered development, tolerance and the respect for different opinions. They value equity, equality and the respect for all citizens regardless of sex, race, social/health status and physical appearance. They aim to promote integrity and be a transparent, accoutnable, socially responsible and honest organization that promotes solidarity and championing women’s rights as a collective force. The organization focuses on training, planning, financial monitoring, monitoring and evaluation and transparency in management through Credibility Alliance norms.

OBJECTIVE

• To improve gender equality and equity through advocacy and lobbying
• To promote human trafficking awareness and sensitization
• Increase involvement and participation of the grassroots in policy making and implementation
• To provide information channels for the enhancement of awareness of women's rights, and services available to communities (reproductive health, education, and training).
• To empower local communities and women in particular to self sufficiency using integrated approaches to income generation that contribute to poverty reduction.
• To build relationships and collaborate on projects that promotes and disseminates the important voices of young women and girls.

AREAS OF INTEREST

The organization is diverse with a wide range of focus areas which include:

• HIV/AIDS, Health and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights 
• Gender Based Violence 
• Women  Rights and Girl child trafficking 
• Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (Safe Abortion) 
• Girl Child Education Support 
• Sports for Change 
• Ending Early Child Marriages 
• Climate change and Environmental

ACHIEVEMENTS:
 

The organization has many success which include setting up a hotlune on GBV, training for advoates in sexual and reproductive health rights and conduced a Lets Talk campaign in several of Malawi’s norther regions and this campaign also has a facebook group for awareness. The group has also established 14 girls clubs and 4 sex workers groups and has conducted community mobilization on climate change issues. The group has also participated in the 16 days of activism campaign and in the 5th African Sexual and Health Rights conference in Namibia. They have also done environmental protection and awareness projects in schools and communities.

 

CHALLENGES:
 

As like all organizations CEGI has its challenges. The organization seeks to  work on capacity building and training. The organization lacks funds for outreach programs in schools and communities and feels they have inadequate capacity training programmes for girls and young women. They lack funding for planned programs and activities and have inadequate administrative support. They struggle with the lack of external support and the social misconceptions of gender in the area.

CEGI is open to partnership and has made partnerships with the following impressive list of groups: Women on Web Foundation (WoW), Coalition on Prevention of Unsafe Abortion in Malawi (COPUA), National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), International Consortium for Medical Abortion (ICMA) Foundation for Youth Crime and Drug Prevention, Northern Youth Network, Global Women Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), Ipas Malawi.

In the future the organization hopes to establish a counseling center for victimized girls and young women, engage in intense resource mobilization, carry out more events of GBV awareness and promote a hotline on the issue. They hope to become the leading organization on psychosocial support of vulnerable and victimized children,  girls and young women.

They are aiming to provide educational materials along with uniforms for vulnerable and needy girls and carry out community sensitization programs regularly. They also hope to be able to promote the development and implementation of appropriate national legal and policy framework that will provide adequate protection for the women and girl child and the protection and fulfillment of socio-economic and political rights including gender equity and equality which influence vulnerability to hindrance in development activities.

FUTURE PLANS

• To establish counseling centre for victimized girls and young women 
• To establish of hotline   
• Engage in intense resource mobilization  
• To carry out various activities on rights of the women, sex workers and girls and fight for gender based violence
  
• To be the leading organization in psychosocial support vulnerable and victimized children,  girls and young women  
• Young People against Gender Based Violence’. 
• To provide educational materials along with uniforms for vulnerable and needy girls 
• To carry out community sensitization programs regularly 
• Promote the development and implementation of appropriate national legal and policy framework that will provide adequate protection for the women and girl child and the protection and fulfillment of socio-economic and political rights including gender equity and equality which influence vulnerability to hindrance in development activities

 

Contact:

Centre for Girls and Interaction (CEGI Malawi)
P.O Box 651
Mzuzu - Northern Region
Malawi
Southern Africa
Phone: +265 995463231
+265 888142220
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.centreforgirlsandinteraction.webbly.com
http://www.facebook.com/groups/236280836460766/

 

• Malawi