By D.Phiri
Indeed, Zambia celebrates another benchmark in its democracy. Mostly,credit is to the people of Zambia and the mature political players involved. However, I would like to bring to the fore, a very pertinent matter which has for a long time been relegated to the periphery in the governance agenda in Zambia. That is, the Childrens agenda. Adult Zambians have spoken, and democracy has answered their call. However,we have the unheard voices; whose right to vote is not yet but they are a critical constituency in the Zambian demographics.
As of 2007, the Zambia demographic and Healthy Survey (ZDHS) stated that Zambia has a young population with 50 per cent of the total population under the age of 15 whilst the least age group of 0 – 4 years comprised of the largest proportion of the population at 19 per cent (p. 13). Therefore, many children are being impacted in reality by the social, economic, and political realities of the day than adults. It can be assumed by the population demographics that they tend to be affected more.
However, their voices seem to continue to be unheard. The government and other NGOs who purport to work in this area need to reflect on this matter at this early stage of government transition. Whilst children cannot vote, how can the government ensure that childrens perspectives, concerns, views and experiences be taken into consideration as a serious governance agenda? Political structures from the time of campaigns are not easily accessible to
children, and were it is done, seems to be top dressing and not mutually interactive with children to get their perspectives.
In some cases, we have read in media were political players have laughed at other party rallies attended by children. Is it a sign of political
failure when children attend rallies to hear what government is doing in their country? Children are social agents, who are part of the
overall political environment and are largely affected by political activities and outcome. It should be well known that children contribute severally to the political economy of the country but due to such discriminative tendencies their contribution and stake is not seen and respected.
As the new government settles down and creates its structures, we are watching with keen interest what changes they make in structures that will be pushing forward the childrens agenda. The question has always been, ‘which government wing holistically moves the childrens agenda forward!’ Fuzzy and unclear structures in the government characterized the system that has been tasked to handle childrens affairs. In most instances, childrens programming was subsumed in other adult activities and as such never made substantial impact at all.
Previously, we had Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development (MSYCD), Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and Ministry of Education (MoE) as the main structures handling childrens affairs in various aspects. These were aided by several committees that had duplicative mandates. However, this system was fraught by serious duplication of efforts, lack of precision in handling child affairs, inefficiency and subsequent poor delivery.
This is evident in the ONLY report CRC/C/11/Add.25 (instead of 3-4) delivered to the United Nations Committee on the rights of the child
in 2001. With the current merging of ministries, we hope that structures that will coordinate the holistic programming in child welfare and development will be visible. With expertise and competence in working with various NGOs in making childrens voices, views,perspectives and concerns audible through various creative programming that lessens the distance between local people and technocrats.
In addition, allocation of financial and competent human resources to programming in this area has been very inadequate. It is a huge challenge for the very inefficient systems to carry out their mandate when they are insufficiently resourced. In this regard, it is hoped that the ‘newly created structures’ will be sufficiently resourced to ensure that programming in childrens welfare is well resourced in terms of finances and human resources. With the start of the national budget debates in parliament, I hope that concerned government wings and related structures will be allocated sufficient funds to sufficiently attend to concerns and needs of this large and vital, but usually unheard constituency of the Zambian population.
It should not be assumed that addressing adults concerns addresses childrens concerns as well, for childrens concerns and perspectives as independent social agents in our society are in many ways and instances different.
You have brought up a couple of issues in your issue
– children attending political rallies: You ask is it a sign of political failure? My question is does the rally address their immediate needs? Dora Siliya’s rally was definitely a DON’T LISTEN for children. That was an X rated rally.
– Unheard voices …. read some place about introducing free education up to grade 10 or something. And also basic education to be made compulsory. SO there you are . . . the children are being “heard”. There is some out there listening or rather talking for them poor and / or unheard voices.
should read a ” you have brought up a couple of issues”. Comment on two
LT give us news about the new Army Chief, who is she or he? we need data, articles like the one above shoud be on the features page on the sunday LT. its boring on a saturday morning like this, when Zambians in the diaspora are eager to know what is happening home socially and politically.
‘Suffer the children to come to me’ Jesus Christ. ‘All the more for the children.’ V I Lenin.
This is a very timely topic and thank you Phiri for bringing it up. The fact that the majority of our people are under the age of economic contribution is one of the woes of this country. We need to find ways and means to engage children who have been excluded from main stream education. There must be a separate ministry for children and not for chiefs.
We will judge Sata and his govt by how many of the poor Zambians they lift out of poverty.
Not by the number of Manda Hills are built on there watch.
Also we are watching what will happen to Zambia’s UTH.
What Zambia needs is ‘MADE IN ZAMBIA’ stamped on manufatured goods. Poverty will persist until we can produce MANUFACTURED goods that other countries want to buy. We need people of original thought. The question is how can we produce them? These are the people that will create jobs. Governments do not create jobs. They can inflate the civil service but this does not bring wealth into the country.
No child left behind policy be implemented. Access to free education as a social responsibility what the haves wish for their children should be for all children and I concur that a ministry that would have targeted the needs of children and youth would have been better than that of chiefs who are already better placed under local government
Voice of Reason spot on!
Firstly, its a very important article, I love children, secondly I have noted that the current government has highlighted early learning, maternal and child health and youth and sport in some of the ministries which I think is meant to address the issues affecting the children. Hopefully we shall see a lot being done by our government but I would also like to see some joint efforts by our NGO fraternity. Advocacy is good and should be encouraged, push the powers that be to act.
Why include rallies in a well intended article?How do you think a politicain even has time to let the children be heard on such situations?Haven’t you personally observed that politicians use such activities only for numbers?RB had no adults to attend them so he asked all children to attend.The MMD especially RB ,Bokosi and Thandiwe Banda were using too explicit language for children to hear.Words like,matako ya soft,wakucipinda kua A Banda.lazy on bed,angomwa ,and so own and so forth.Why do we let innocent children listen to such a dirty language and no body is charged by the law?Some compaigns should have just been entitled EXPLICIT no under 5vs or sorry ,no under 18z
Good article D. Phiri. They say “imitikula empanga” but from what we have seen so far, most children are disregarded and their needs are meant to seem less important than the Adults’. We need good policies to support the children and help them in capacity building. They say they have introduced free education, but from what is happening, education is not free. Childrens voices should indeed be heard.
I personally know Mr. D.Phiri and his passion for issues related to childern. Well spoken my brother, I feel reallt that its was unecessary to create a Ministry for Chiefs instead of creating a Ministry for Child Development. What are Chiefs for anyway? Of late these guys have just turned into political tools only popular during campaigns.
well articulated artical but i still see light in the tunnel with the inclusion of early childhood education has come at the right tym when we needed it even earlier previosuly it was abolished by FTJ…
Interesting insights.We will wait and see how the new government handles the issue of the welfare of Zambian children.