National News

Communities team upto protect children

 Community members in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikho in Ntchisi District have teamed up to protect children from early marriages and child labour.

The move follows a call from World Vision Malawi to protect children from all forms of abuse to ensure that they achieve their potential.

Angella studying at home. | Pemphero Mbalame

At Kambadzo in T/A Chikho, community members have formed children protection committees to ensure children continue with their education and live in a safe environment.

In an interview on Sunday, Chikho Area Development Committee chairperson Mavuto Chisaka said they are now defending the rights of children.

“In March 2024, World Vision helped us to form Chikho Child Protection Committee to protect children from abuses such as child marriages, child labour, defilement and child neglect,” he said.

To empower the committee, Chisaka said the organisation in December 2023 took the members to Nkhoma in Lilongwe District for an exchange visit.

“There, we learned best practices on child protection and now we are not registering child marriages or teen pregnancies in the area,” he said.

Fyness Mbulawo, a mother of six, is a member of the committee and commended World Vision for the interventions.

She said together with traditional leaders, they have conducted awareness campaigns on child abuse and the situation has resulted in a conducive atmosphere for children to grow.

“We want to protect children. I encourage my daughter Angella to work hard in school. My daughter wants to become a police officer when she finishes school,” said Mbulawo.

Group village head Kadatseka said they formulated by-laws to end child marriages.

“We also abolished harmful cultural practices to protect children. We also agreed that children should only attend initiation ceremonies during school holidays,” he said.

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