Amasiko Halfway House

Covid-19 has had a profound impact on most communities. One sector that has been under reported is that of young girls in Africa who were reliant upon schools as a place of safety and a means to escape the cycle of poverty they were trapped in. “The presidential directive to lock down the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, whilst helpful for cubing the spread of the disease, has impacted negatively on young girls. A lot of them have become victims of defilement and teenage pregnancy. ” Following nearly two years of enforced school closures, many young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 are now too old to continue their education. Many have been forced into pregnancy through abuse or hopelessness; many have been traumatised through illegal terminations. Alongside Africa already supports young girls in this situation through its’ Amasiko Halfway House training centre, which opened in January 2018. Here we provide training in tailoring and hairdressing, as well as life skills training in subjects such as literacy, numeracy, human rights and sexual health. On graduation the girls are assisted to get a job or start their own small business.