Salima District Council has emphasised the importance of protecting street-connected children from various forms of harm to safeguard their future
To ensure their safety, the council has embarked on a campaign to return street-connected children to their homes to grow within their society.
On Friday, the council facilitated the return of 26 children to their homes.
Speaking after the exercise, Salima District Council social welfare officer Edgar Kasiyafumbi said they want to ensure that the children receive the right care at home.
He said: “We have started the repatriation exercise to protect our children from bad things that could happen to them in the streets.
“We are working with the police and the exercise is going on well.”
with police. | Lovemore Khomo
Kasiyafumbi said the children are safe because the council identified their parents.
“Some parents came to take their children home and the rest were escorted to their homes,” he said.
Salima Police Station child protection officer Grace Mizere advised the parents to look after their children to ensure their safety.
“We want mothers to love their children and stop abusing them because some of these children are victims of domestic violence,” she said.
Salima District Civil Society Organisations Network chairperson Joseph Kandiyesa commended the council, saying streets are dangerous places for children.
“I hope we have listened to the children’s concerns to know how we can help them. Again, I believe we are in touch with the parents to discuss a sustainable way of rehabilitating and reintegrating them into the society,” he said.
In a telephone interview, Street Kids Awareness (Steka) founder Godknows Maseko commended the exercise.
He said he hoped the council has strategies to ensure the children return to school as the new academic year starts on September 22.
“Let us reflect on the problems that forced the children to go to the streets and help them accordingly,” said Maseko
