SOS Children’s Village Malawi launched a report on assessment of Government support to vulnerable families on Wednesday, 24th March 2021 at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe. The Assessment was commissioned with financial support from NORAD. The Report outlines findings on the social support that the Government renders to the vulnerable families. With the findings, came the recommendations and/or interventions that need to be taken if the country is to progress in terms of the rights of the vulnerable people.
According to the Resolution adopted by the United Nations in 2019 on the Children without Care, all member governments were called upon to realize the rights of Children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care or generally the vulnerable children and it also urges State parties to provide gender sensitive social protection systems and targeted cash transfers for families in vulnerable situations. Malawi is a signatory to this resolution.
Among others the report outlines findings on the existing social protection schemes available for vulnerable families in Malawi, in terms of policy direction, institutional arrangement, and range of available social protection schemes. Some of the Social protection Schemes available in Malawi include; Social Cash Transfer Program, public Works Program, School Feeding program and Savings and Loans and Microfinance.
The National Director for SOS Children’s Village Malawi, Mr. Smart Namagonya said his institution decided to do the assessment as a way of assisting in the formulation and reviewing of Government policies especially as far as the children’s rights are concerned. Mr. Namagonya reiterated SOS Children’s Village Malawi commitment towards working with the Government in safeguarding the rights of children. He expressed optimism that the report will influence Government’s policy direction on social protection programming.
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Mr Smart Namagonya, National Director for SOS Children’s Village – Malawi
Mr. Irvin Katopola, Principal Secretary for Ministry of Gender Children, Disability and Social welfare, who was the guest of honor at the launch acknowledged the gaps that the assessment has exposed and said that they will use the recommendations when reviewing and formulating policies concerning children’s rights. Mr. Katopola also said that Government considers their partners as key players and they always consider their recommendations and take them on board.
CONGOMA’s Program’s Manager Mr. Simekinala Kaluzi commended SOS Children’s Village Malawi for the assessment and highlighted that being the secretariat of Malawi Platform for Social Protection, CONGOMA will disseminate the report to its stakeholders through the platform. He encouraged other members of CONGOMA to engage Government by advancing policy demands that are supported by evidence on the ground. Mr. Kaluzi further called on NGOs to work together with Government through deliberate alignment of programmes to national development policies such as the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III and the National Social Support Program II.
The report is available upon request.