Home based centre caregivers should be on government payroll-MPs

A parliamentary committee on Youth, Sport and Child Development says the government should help reduce challenges faced by some home based care organisations that are taking care of vulnerable children.

Committee Chairperson, Edgar Sing’ombe, suggested that the government should consider putting most of the caregivers and general workers serving in home based care organisations on government payroll to reduce challenges the homes are facing.

Mr. Sing’ombe said this after receiving complaints from various home based care organisations in Ndola yesterday.

And St. Anthony Children’s Village Coordinator, Lucia Mucherenje, told the parliamentary committee that her organisation has over 35 workers who do not have stable salaries.

Sister Mucherenje said these workers depend on donations from well-wishers.

She has since appealed to parliamentarians to ask the government to consider putting most of the caregivers at the facility on government payroll.

She said putting caregivers on a salary will reduce the burden the home based care centres are currently facing.

Sr. Mucherenje further said the centre, which currently has 118 children, requires more funding, adding that currently, the funds from donors and government are not adequate to cater for the increasing children needs and wants.

And Sr. Mucherenje revealed that the number of children with cerebral palsy is also increasing.

She said the government should therefore create a facility that has specialised health personnel who will be able to treat the children.

“The children need special care from specialised health personnel which we currently do not have as an institution,” she said.

The parliamentarians have since thanked non-governmental organisations such as St. Anthony Children’s Village and Child Life Touch for helping vulnerable children in society and providing education to them up to university level.