ADVOCACY MEETING WITH THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL WELFARE
Saint John of God, in collaboration with Tikondane Child Care and KinderNotHilfe (KNH), hosted the Parliamentary Committee on Community and Social Welfare. This committee is responsible for addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable groups in Malawi, including children, youth, persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly.
During the meeting, the team, led by Saint John of God’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Charles Masulani-Mwale, presented a policy brief titled “The Potential Generation Bomb: A Forecast of the Consequences of Failing to Address the Welfare of Street-Connected Children.” The brief highlighted the alarming reality that there are at least 15,000 street-connected children in Malawi, with over 20% being girls living in harsh and unsafe conditions.
The advocacy meeting was timely, as it coincided with Parliament’s deliberations on the upcoming annual budget for the government’s fiscal year. Among the key policy recommendations presented was the need for increased budgetary support to refurbish and operationalize the Lilongwe Rehabilitation Center. Additionally, the team proposed establishing similar facilities in Blantyre and Mzuzu to provide safe havens for street-connected children in these cities.
The Lilongwe Rehabilitation Center, which has not received government funding for the past two years, is currently in a dire state. The proposed funds would address both the center’s refurbishment and its operational costs, ensuring it can effectively serve vulnerable children.
The team also emphasized the importance of capacity building and resource allocation for District Social Welfare Officers, who play a critical role in ensuring children are not forced onto the streets. Furthermore, they urged the committee to address the push and pull factors that contribute to the problem. Push factors include the harsh economic conditions faced by many families, while pull factors include practices such as the distribution of alms, which inadvertently encourage children to remain on the streets.
In his presentation, Chimwemwe Limani, Country Director for KinderNotHilfe, highlighted the impact of climate change on the issue. “The southern region of Malawi has been severely affected by cyclones and floods, leaving many families unable to recover. This has led to an increase in the number of street-connected children. Establishing an operational rehabilitation center in Blantyre is essential to address this growing crisis,” he explained.
Hon. Savel Kafwafwa, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee, acknowledged the importance of the meeting, stating, “This interaction has been invaluable in helping the committee identify key issues to bring before the House. We are committed to ensuring that street-connected children receive the support they need to lead safer and more fulfilling lives.”
Dr Masulani-Mwale also shared how Saint John of God Umoza program that can be a model that can be followed since it programming has successfully transformed lives of children connected to the street to citizens contributing to the country as engineers, teachers and doctors some are even employees at Saint John of God.
The meeting underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts between government, NGOs, and stakeholders to address the plight of vulnerable children in Malawi. By implementing the proposed recommendations, the country can take significant steps toward safeguarding the future of its youngest and most at-risk citizens
