Emmanuel Kafe
GOVERNMENT has called for stronger partnerships with churches, charitable organisations and other stakeholders to improve the welfare of children in residential care, saying support must go beyond providing shelter to safeguarding their dignity, education and development.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Advocate Mercy Dinha said this on Monday when she received a donation of food, clothing, dignity kits and educational supplies from Agape Family Care for children in Government-run residential care facilities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare on behalf of Minister Edgar Moyo, Adv Dinha said children in residential care required sustained support to help them develop their potential.
“Our responsibility is therefore not merely to provide shelter. We must endeavour to create environments in which children are cared for, protected, educated and supported to develop their potential,” she said.
Adv Dinha said that while the Government remained responsible for social protection, partnerships with non-state actors were essential in addressing the diverse needs of vulnerable children.
“The scale and complexity of social needs make partnerships essential,” she said.
She urged stakeholders involved in distributing the donated items to ensure that the process was conducted fairly and protected the privacy and dignity of the beneficiaries.
“The children who will benefit from this donation should not be made to feel that they are recipients of charity in a manner that diminishes them,” she said.
“Rather, the support should reinforce the message that they matter, that their wellbeing matters, and that society has a responsibility to support them.”
Agape Family Care founder and patron Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa said the organisation had prepared food supplies, personal hygiene products, clothing, stationery and sporting equipment for children in the 12 Government residential care institutions.
The food supplies include maize meal, cooking oil, sugar, flour and sugar beans, while the hygiene products include bathing and washing soap, toothpaste, sanitary ware, towels and undergarments.
The educational materials comprise exercise books, pens, rulers and mathematical sets, among other stationery, while soccer and netball balls were included to support recreation and physical wellbeing.
Prophetess Makandiwa said the intervention was intended to address everyday needs that could affect children’s health, confidence and learning.
“We strongly believe that education remains one of the most instrumental instruments for transforming lives and breaking the cycle of poverty and vulnerability,” she said.
“Our desire is that no child should have their educational progress unnecessarily disturbed by absence of basic learning materials.”
She said caring for vulnerable children required more than financial and material resources, adding that compassion, dedication and respect for human dignity were equally important.
Prophetess Makandiwa also acknowledged the role played by caregivers and support staff in Government institutions, saying their work often went unrecognised despite its importance to children’s welfare.
Speaking on behalf of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Permanent Secretary Mr Pfungwa Kunaka, the ministry’s Director of Gender Mainstreaming, Inclusivity and Wellness, Mrs Ruvarashe Mujeni, said the donation demonstrated the importance of collaboration in strengthening social protection programmes.
“Today’s ceremony therefore represents more than the transfer of material assistance. It represents a partnership in support of the welfare of children,” she said.
Government has 12 residential care institutions under its responsibility, providing shelter, protection and other essential services to children who require special care and assistance.
