Children in Mchinji District have asked duty-bearers to find solutions to challenges they are facing, including lack of learning infrastructure and the rise in child marriages.
They said this on Saturday during Mchinji Children’s Parliament session at Kapiri in Traditional Authority (T/A) Dambe in the district.
In an interview, Speaker of the Children’s Parliament Deborah Ezekiel said she expected authorities to act on the challenges the Parliament discussed.
She cited drunkenness among teachers, early marriages, poor school infrastructure, teenage pregnancies, hunger and and long distances to school as some of the challenges affecting them.
“We, therefore, expect that duty-bearers will take our concerns seriously and provide solutions to them,” said Ezekiel.
On her part, Girls Empowerment Network (Genet) programmes manager Tamara Milanzi, whose organisation facilitated the Children’s Parliament under its Tikwaniritse ndi Kuteteza Maufulu a Ana Project, said they will work with duty-bearers to address the concerns the children raised.
She said the project seeks to ensure that children enjoy their right to education and are protected through strong government and community systems.
“The Children’s Parliament gives children a platform to express their views, share experiences and influence decisions that affect their lives,” said Milanzi.
T/A Dambe thanked Genet for the initiative, saying it will go a long way in changing children’s perspective of life.
“We are pleased to see that the children discussed the challenges and forwarded the resolutions to authorities for action,” he said.
Genet is running the project with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through Save the Children.
