Mangochi, MALAWI — For Christina Idrissa, a 53-year-old mother of seven, parenting was once a one-way street. Her mantra was clear: "my way or no way."
“My older children were okay with the way I raised them,” Christina recalls. “But I was particularly facing difficulties with my two teenage children. They seemed to rebel against everything I said.”
As her children grew, the rift between them widened. Desperate for a solution, Christina sought advice from friends and relatives, but nothing seemed to work. Then, in 2023, an unexpected opportunity changed everything.
“I was coming back from the mosque when I noticed some women from my village heading to a meeting at the chief’s house,” she says. “Curious, I decided to join them.”
At the meeting, Christina learned about a project soon to be implemented in her community. One of its focus areas was parent-child communication—a lifeline she hadn’t realized she needed.
I had tried everything to mend my relationship with my kids, but nothing seemed to work. I felt like giving it another try with this new project.
The parent-child communication groups established in Christina’s community are part of activities supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under the UN Joint Programme on Girls Education (UN JPGE), funded by the Government of Norway.
These groups aim to foster open and honest discussions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), a critical intervention in rural areas where cultural taboos and lack of formal education often leave young people without essential information. The consequences—early pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence—are far too common.
“The group helped me see that parenting needs to evolve with changing times,” Christina reflects. “In our day, certain topics were taboo, and we left them to uncles or aunties. But now, you can’t trust anyone else to raise your children properly. They might give them the wrong information.”
The three-month sessions focus on breaking communication barriers between parents and children. For Christina, they were life-changing.
“I never thought I would sit down with my son to discuss his body and the importance of safe sex,” she says. “It was tough at first, but the more we talked, the easier it became. In fact, those conversations have brought us much closer.”
Her teenage children have also noticed a dramatic shift in their mother’s parenting approach.
Kazembo Jamali, her 19-year-old son and a third-year secondary school student, shares his perspective:
“The sessions have really helped me feel closer to my mother. Although I’ve always respected her, her treatment of us was often harsh, and she never gave us a chance to explain ourselves. Now, things have improved so much.”
Fourteen-year-old Marium, Christina’s youngest daughter, echoes his sentiments.
“In our area, culture and religion often force young people to remain silent even when they’re hurting. This usually makes us rebellious. I’m glad this project has shown our parents a different perspective on parenting.”
Through this initiative, Christina has not only rebuilt her relationship with her children but also become a champion of change in her community.
“I wished I had known this project sooner,” she says. “Now, my job is to make sure that every parent in my community benefits from the knowledge I have learned.”
Joseph Scott, Communications Specialist
