From a toolkit to a mobile clinic

For young people in Mtandire, a densely populated township in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services has not always been easy. 

The nearest community health centre is about five kilometres away. But distance is only part of the challenge. Young people also struggle to find services that are accessible, youth-friendly and responsive to their needs. 

For Samuel Shumba, Chairperson of the Chimbalame Youth Zone Network in Mtandire, these barriers are personal. He says, “Young people in Mtandire face many challenges including early and unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Growing up in this community, I have seen how young people struggle to access health services, despite the need. The hospital is very far away, so many end up not going.” 

He had also seen what happened when health services were brought closer. On one occasion, an organisation brought a mobile health van to Mtandire, and young people turned up in large numbers. 

“That gave me an idea. Why can’t it be done consistently?” he recalls. 

That question became an advocacy priority for Samuel: what would it take to bring regular, youth-friendly SRHR services closer to young people in Mtandire? 

Months later, that advocacy came to life. 

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