Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
ZIMBABWE has been commended for championing child protection programmes with African nations to learn from it.
This comes amid reports that Zimbabwe has reduced child care health workers/vulnerable children ratio from around 1:49 000 to 1:10 000 as more volunteers continue to offer their services.
This emerged at the Sub-Saharan Africa regional case management meeting yesterday in Victoria Falls where 13 countries are meeting to learn from the country’s case management model on issues affecting vulnerable children.
The case management model is an approach where government responds to individual cases affecting vulnerable children which are investigated case by case and a comprehensive report is compiled.
Officiating at the meeting, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Ngoni Masoka said Zimbabwe is proud to be a regional torch bearer in children’s health issues.
“This is an opportunity for Zimbabwe to showcase its experience in child protection and management systems. The programme began in 2011 after adopting the model from South Africa and other countries are now copying as we extend our experiences to them,” said Mr Masoka.
He said the programme protects vulnerable children from life challenges, abuse, poverty and illnesses.
Mr Masoka said the successes were hinged on a comprehensive approach from all stakeholders.
“The model involves getting reports about a child’s challenges and tracing them to see how best they can be addressed,” said Mr Masoka.
He said some of the challenges faced by the country in implementing the case management model include skills flight which has resulted in the country relying on volunteer child care workers.
Despite the brain drain the social services sector which resulted in the country at some point having one child care worker attending to 49 000 vulnerable children, the tide has turned and the ratio is now 1:10 000.
Online Reporter