By Linda Likomwa

Phalombe, August 29, Mana: Center for Social Concern has appealed to Phalombe District Council and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the district to intensify community sensitization on the negative impacts of marriage breakups on childcare apart from continuing to raise awareness on child protection against all forms of abuse.

Center for Social Concern, District Coordinator, Henry Nandolo appealed during the Gender Technical Working Group (GTWG) meeting on Wednesday.

Nandolo told the meeting that a 13-year-old child was diagnosed with HIV and upon enquiry was discovered that she contracted it from two men with whom she had been in a sexual relationship.

“This clearly shows that some parents are failing to take care of their children because if this girl had all the support from parents she could not have been sleeping around with men for financial support,” he observed.

Nandolo added that despite the issue being handled by police, parents need to be sensitized to take full responsibility for their children, “whether they are on separation or not,”

Acting Social Welfare Officer in Phalombe, Stanley Gundeni said there are a number of childcare issues that need to be addressed in the district.

“Most children are being neglected by their parents especially when the parents are on separation,” he added.

Gundeni said that issues of marriage breakups are common in the district, and he further observed that marriage breakups lead to most children being neglected thereby denying them care and support.

“We have discovered that some women just go into marriage without proper marriage procedures and when they have misunderstandings with their partners, the husband just walks away freely leaving the women with children whom they are failing to support,” the social welfare officer added.

Following recent release of Junior Certificate Examinations (JCE) and Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examinations, Gundeni said his office received a number of complaints from mothers that were seeking bursary support for their children’s secondary school education across the country.

He also called on the CSOs and other stakeholders to always stress the need for proper marriage procedures when doing community sensitizations to ensure stable marriages.