Kabwila calls for protection of street kids

MALAWI: A renowned child rights activist has called on the government and various stakeholders to protect the rights of street-connected children in the country.

Jessie Kabwila made the remarks following the incident that happened in Blantyre recently where angry people beat up a street-connected child on allegations that he wanted to rob a man.

Kabwila said the street-connected children have rights, and need to be taken as helpless and calling for help. For this reason, they deserve to be protected, she said.

Further, she has asked the general public to help the street children with resources like food, shelter, and school if they are to see this problem end.

“I call upon the civil societies and government to protect the street-connected children by giving help. They need to go to school, they need food and shelters so that they should not rob people to get these things,” said Kabwila.

But Kabwila was quick to accept that these children pose threats to people and that is the reason why people have resorted to punishing them.

She described the incident that happened in Blantyre as an indicator that people are living in fear due to the acts of such children in many parts of the country.

Kabwila has also pleaded with the police to come out of their comfort zones by ensuring that they are protecting the children on time.

For so long, the general public has raised an outcry of the acts of the street-connected children, especially at night. The street children have been accused of raiding, beating people in most streets of the country.