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The Ntchisi Children’s Parliament has accused the District Social Welfare Office of favouritism and corruption in identifying beneficiaries of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) bursary scheme.
Children’s Parliament spokesperson Father Kalimbilla has called on non-governmental organisations and governing bodies to investigate the matter.
Kalimbira expressed this view during an interview during the August meeting held on August 22-23, 2024 at Ntchisi Boma.
During the meeting, the children councillors expressed serious concerns about the way the district social welfare office was discharging its duties and lamented that the resources they provided for poor children were not really reaching the intended beneficiaries.
“The bursary resources are not supported. Instead, they only admit students from rich families. As a result, many poor children drop out of school because the bursary office does not help them,” she said.
Holiness asked the organization to intervene.
Overstone Kondowe, the Member of Parliament for Nkhotakota North East, speaking on behalf of the Parliamentary Committee on Community Development and Social Welfare, expressed the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing Malawi’s children.
Kondowe revealed that children make up more than half of Malawi’s population and they still face various challenges in their journey to grow up to be responsible children.
“Although children do not vote in elections, it is right that they be given top priority when we think about nation building. This is equally because children themselves are the future of our country. Even so, it must not be imagined that children do not have any ideas about themselves and the future of their country. In fact, if anyone had any doubts about their clarity, my discussion with them today should dispel such doubts. Not only have I participated in today’s discussion, but I will also learn a lot from it,” he said.
“So to all the children in this room and across this country, I welcome your ideas and look forward to more of them. In honor of your contribution to the well-being of Malawi, I want to tell you some of the things that lawmakers and government are doing to serve you well:
1. First, we completed the coordination of all laws related to children.
2. Secondly, we are implementing a national children’s policy, which will help ensure that all services and resources for children in Malawi are coordinated.
3. Thirdly, we have passed the National Children’s Commission Act, which is charged with monitoring all child-related issues and ensuring accountability at all levels of institutions.
4. Fourth, with the support of our development partners and the World Bank, we will invest the majority of our resources in areas related to children’s issues, such as education, health, nutrition, and early childhood development.
5. Fifth, as you can see from this exercise, we are strengthening the participation of children in decision-making processes and offices at all levels, including children’s parliaments, for which we have allocated resources to implement them at the district level.
6. Sixth, we are lobbying to increase the number of child protection workers across the country.
7. Seventh, we are preparing for a massive birth/child registration exercise so that we can close the registration gap for children under 16 years of age, which currently stands at 8.4 million. This registration database will ensure that children are protected from child labour, child trafficking, child marriage and other forms of child rights violations,” said Kondowe.
Kondowe, however, asked NGOs and other stakeholders to continue working with the government to promote children’s rights.
“We cannot do this alone. All parents, teachers, guardians and communities must do their part to ensure that our children grow up in an environment that allows and supports them to become good citizens,” he said, further encouraging children to be their best at all times.
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