By Brighton Thengoliweta Chimsinde

Mchinji, May 28, Mana: A child parliament that was held on Monday in Mchinji District has given children a platform to express their views on different aspects of their lives.

World Vision Malawi (WVM), in partnership with Girls Activists Youth Organization (GAYO), supported the children’s parliament in Mchinji with the aim of empowering children on raising issues that affect them.

GAYO executive director Richard Batch said they decided to support the initiative so that the children are heard.

“Our main aim is to make sure that the district committee should respond to issues that have been raised by children so much so that they should be addressed," said Batch.

During the session, Mavwere-Kapondo Community Children’s Parliamentarians raised issues that were affecting them in relation to high early marriage cases, inadequate learning and teaching materials, rampant cases of child labour, and school drop-out, among others.

A 2022 baseline survey conducted by GAYO found out that 23 percent of the children in Mchinji were not going to school because of issues to do with child marriages and child labour, and Batch said that is why the organization took interest in the initiative to let the children speak out.

In her remarks, WVM Mchinji District Programmes Manager Mereena John said that WVM and GAYO have initiated the parliament as a forum for the children to voice out the issues affecting them in their everyday lives.

“We hope that the children's parliament session will help to transform children's lives in the district because the district decision makers will priorities them in their agenda,” John said.

John pledged to work hand in hand with other partners in an effort of sustaining the community children parliament in the district.

Vice chairperson for Mchinji District Council, who was also the guest of honour, Mickson Chikhutu, assured the children that the council will intervene on issues that were raised during the parliament deliberations.

“We are ready to take the issues to the decision making forums to find the way forward. The council will motivate, protect and support learners for them to be productive Malawian citizens. 

“On the issues to do with inadequate learning and teaching materials in schools, the council and its partners will look into the issues for the learners in the district to have quality education,” he said.

Currently, World Vision Malawi is implementing and supporting community children’s parliament project in all its catchment areas across the country, including Mchinji and Ntchisi Districts.