Malawi to rid cities of street children – Minister

Malawi on Wednesday, joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International day of the street children with government saying  it will ensure that every child has a home and that an exercise to rid the major cities and towns of street children will continue.

Kalilani, Gwengwe and children in commemoration of Internati onal day of. children in Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana
Former street child, Harmiton Banda shares his experience iin Lilongwe-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana
Charles Gwengwe of Chisomo speaking
PS for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Esmie Kainja gives her remarks-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Man

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Dr. Jean Kalilani and Executive Director for Chisomo Children’s Club, Charles Gwengwe,  led thousands of Malawians to a match from the Lilongwe Community Ground to the Shoprite.

The day was observed under the theme ‘This is my time will you stand with me.’

Kalirani said street-connected children should be placed in homes, saying there was an increase in number of street children in the countries cities, a thing she described as worrisome.

“In Blantyre and Lilongwe we have about 5,000 street children and 3,000 of them are in the city of Lilongwe. I am sure that the population of Malawi can contain them,” the Minister explained.

She added that some of these children run away from their homes because of poverty, hunger and orphan-hood among others.

The Malawi Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment shows that over 60 percent of Malawians live below the poverty line of $2 a day, while 22 percent of them are ultra poor, living below 10 cents a day – a situation which often forces children into the street to supplement their families’ incomes.

The Minister encouraged people in the country to adopt and send street-connected children to school for them to become recognized citizens.

On his part. Gwengwe, said there were about 10,000 street children in Malawi and that the number was growing by the day.

One of the children who were removed from the street, Happy Banda, a second year student at African Bible College (ABC) in Lilongwe said not all the children found on the street take it as their homes, but they are forced due to problems beyond their control.

He said he lived on the streets of Lilongwe for two years after he lost both parents and had nobody to assist him to complete his education until he was rescued by one of charity organizations in the city.

Banda commended the efforts by organizations and other families that have the heart to rescue street-connected children by giving them homes and future.

He said if people took time to chat with street children to hear their stories they would surely be moved to assist them.

The Ministry also launched Customer Service Charter to provide the policy guidelines for those that are working with street children and the Lilongwe Charter to allow people and organization that are dealing with street children to join hands and work together.

The world commemorates International Day for Street Children each year on 12th April and in Malawi this is the third year the event took place.

 

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becks
becks
7 years ago

Nyimbo! Nyimbo! Nyimbo! Poem Poem Poem Poem
What is your strategy? Chasing the kids out of the streets? Which streets of Lilongwe?
Who will be doing the chasing? MDF? City Assembly?
Chasing for how many hours? What hours of the day? How many days a week? How many days a month? For free? Tell me.
Are answering the question: Why are children in the streets? Where are we taking the streets to? Dumping sites along Blantyre road, Bunda roundabout
Let us be serious for once.

NGWAZI
NGWAZI
7 years ago

Dear UNIMA MANAGEMENT /POLOFESALA PETER KANSALA UNIMA
PLEASE CONSIDER OPENINiG OF COLLEGES WHICH ARE NOT OPEN UP
TO DATE SINCE DECEMBER BREAK
I DONT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND
WHAT IS THE PROBLEMS WITH YOU EDUCATED FOOLS BY DOING ALL THIS NONSENSE ??

MUSATICHIMWITSE MWAMVA ??

IF ITS THE ISSUE OF XOOL FEES TELL US
WE WILL PAY FULL STOP

OPEN THE COLLEGES KIDS NEED TO IN COLLEGE NOT ROAMING AROUND STREETS AND VILLAGES

HOW CAN A COUNTRY MOVE FORWARD
THIS WAY ?? MXIII

DO YOU

Stout
Stout
7 years ago

These are nice words. How will Government ‘ensure that every child has a home’. What is the policy.
I understand that the tendency has been to reduce/close the number of orphanages in the country, so how will you accommodate children where the family/community can’t or won’t do so.

chindere
chindere
7 years ago

Talk is cheap action is dearer. A malawi kukonda kuyankhula koma action zero pa ten. Lets hope that this should not be another attention seeking gathering

gracious g
gracious g
7 years ago

How they can go to school without reduce of school fees, how can we support them with this Malawian poor salaries, government as while as private sectors we have the heart of help but we look at our salaries is very poor we can not afford, let them mongering in the street, till God will help them.

Ngalamayi
Ngalamayi
7 years ago

Go and take a look at Lilongwe’s rubbish tip, and you will see many more children living off what the citizens of Lilongwe throw in their bins. The First Lady uses land there…but not to the benefit of these children.

Chikaiko
Chikaiko
7 years ago

This is a very big step in developing Malawi, as the country will reduce the number of gang groups that terrorize the homes of innocent Malawians among others…

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