Chronicle Editor
Michell Zvanyanya, Chronicle Reporter
A non-governmental organisation has launched a programme to reduce the number of undocumented children below the age of five years in Binga district, Matabeleland North.
BASILIZWI Trust has launched a Citizens Campaign for Birth Identity Documents (CICABID) project to help undocumented children in the area.
The project has resulted in more than 200 children in the area accessing documentation, particularly birth certificates.
In September this year the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) urged communities to participate in a national programme targeted at improving access to critical documents to curb challenges faced by citizens in accessing national documents such as birth certificates, national identity cards, passports and death certificates.
In a statement, Basilizwi Trust Director Mr Christopher Mweembe said the project was implemented following a baseline survey report that showed that 43 percent of children in the Zambezi Valley that covers Binga, had no birth certificates.
“According to the ZIMSTAT 2015 report, only 38% of children were registered at their first birth nationally. This, prompted Basilizwi Trust and Trace to conduct a baseline survey in Binga in 2017 where it emerged that 43 percent of children were unregistered,” he said.
The project seeks to reduce the number of children between the ages of zero to five years without birth certificates by 16 percent by the end of 2022.
Mr Mweembe said the drive for birth documentation access seeks to promote children’s right to education and other social services.
“Birth registration particulars are essential documents which are a requirement in all aspects of life. There are many challenges affecting the people of the Zambezi Valley owing to the lack of birth certificates,” he said.
Mr Mweembe said lack of access to documentation was mainly because people have no information.
A nun from Sunrise Children’s home in Binga district, Sister Faustina Rumuma raised concern over the number of undocumented children in the home, saying it hinders them from enjoying their rights fully.
“As a children’s home we face a lot of challenges when it comes to access birth certificates as we deal with children from all parts of the country.
“Some of the children come without documents which makes it difficult to obtain birth certificates as we we have to start from scratch to get them identification particulars,” said Sister Rumuma. — @michellzvanyanyan2
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