Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Mary Navicha has said the government is engaging development partners and reviewing funding options to keep child-related programmes running after a budget shortfall.
The minister said yesterday on the sidelines of the Day of the African Child commemorations at Katete Ground in Nkhata Bay that her ministry is lobbying for additional financial resources and has engaged Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation to review the K5 billion Reformed Constituency Development Fund guidelines to ring-fence at least five percent towards child-related initiatives.
“Apart from that, we urge our development partners to partner government in the financing and implementation of child programs,” said Navicha.
In the 2026/27 National Budget, the ministry is allocated K453 million for children affairs, down from K1.6 billion in the 2025/26 fiscal year.
Navicha said early childhood development is the most affected following the funding cut.
NGO Coalition on Child Rights national coordinator Henry Machemba said civil society organisations remain committed to supporting government in improving child welfare.
“We commit to helping government improve the welfare of children in the country by offering complementary services,” he said.
But Machemba urged government to improve coordination and share budget information to avoid duplication of efforts.
Parliamentary Committee on Community Affairs chairperson Savel Kafwafwa said government needs to prioritise child affairs, arguing that early childhood development requires more resources.
During the commemoration under the theme ‘Ensuring universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene for every child in Malawi’, children petitioned the ministry to address challenges affecting their daily lives, including poor access to water and sanitation services.
Bandawe Girls Secondary School student Shalom Harawa said some schools lack changing rooms for girls, while many communities still struggle to access safe water sources.
The Day of the African Child was designated in response to the Soweto Uprising on June 16 1976 when thousands of black schoolchildren in South Africa protested against poor educational conditions and the imposition of Afrikaans as the language of instruction.
