Plan International dismisses social media rumours
Plan International has dismissed as fake a social media message circulating on WhatsApp and the creation of a WhatsApp group that was purportedly recruiting girls to register to be supported with education.
In a statement Plan International communications Specialist Sibusisiwe Ndlovu said while the organisation is running a programe called Supporting Adolescent Girls Education (SAGE) it had not yet engaged a third party to mobilise girls.
“Plan international refutes a social media message and a fake WhatsApp group link circulating on the social media platform encouraging out of school girls to register to be supported with their education.
Whilst it is true that the organisation has a project called Supporting Adolescent Girls Education (SAGE) that is supporting out of school adolescent girls in selected communities across 11 in Zimbabwe it has not engaged any third party outside its organisational structures to mobilise girls on it behalf,” said Ndlovu.
The WhatsApp message circulating is written: “Plan international has a program called SAGE which is looking to educate the girl child from the ages of 10 to 19 years of age who has either never been to school or who might have dropped out of school before they had reached grade 5, whether because of financial problems, teenage pregnancy or a learning disability. Please pass this message to those targeted by this program.
Ndlovu added that the message should not be shared further as it is meant to cause disinformation.
“Plan disassociates itself with the social media messages and fake WhatsApp group link in circulation. We are concerned that the originators of these messages may have malicious intent and should be ignored.
The fake message and link should not be shared onwards. The relevant authorities are being engaged ton investigate the intentions of the fake WhatsApp group Administrator,” she said.
