Child Protection Worker Recommends Couples Have Manageable Number of Children

Malawi- A child protection worker for Nkhamenya Zone in Kasungu district, has urged couples in Kasungu to consider having a number of children that they can manage to raise on their own, writes Watipaso Mzungu.

Frank Banda emphasized that gone are the days when the government or relatives would step in to support children whose parents failed to meet their responsibilities.

Banda made the remarks during a sensitization meeting organized by the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust in collaboration with the Malawi Law Commission.

The meeting aimed to increase awareness of gender-related violence as part of a legal literacy programme jointly implemented by NICE and the Malawi Law Commission with financial support from UNICEF.

While conducting awareness campaigns on child rights in Kasungu, Dedza, Mangochi, and Salima districts, parents raised concerns about the government's failure to provide support to children from poor families.

One parent with seven children expressed his struggle to educate them due to a lack of reliable income and asked, "Isn't it the responsibility of the government to look after and educate children who are from poor families?"

In response, Banda stressed that parents bear the primary responsibility of caring for and educating their children.

He advised under-resourced parents to adopt family planning methods to raise a manageable number of children without relying on external support.

Banda said, "Let us face the fact! Seven is a huge number of children for underprivileged families. Let us start thinking about limiting the number of children to four and under."

The Primary Education Advisor (PEA) for Kawiya Zone, Mathias Mthunzi, revealed that his office receives numerous financial requests from poor learners.

Meanwhile, NICE District Civic Education Officer (DCEO), Pilirani Chaguza, applauded the progress made by the programme in entrenching the spirit of respect for the rights of children in the districts.

However, Chaguza called on the community, traditional leaders, learners, and teachers to report any cases of violation of children's rights to relevant authorities.

Chaguza urged the use of suggestion boxes placed in all schools to report any cases of abuse and violence against children in the districts.