By Paul Diverson
Blantyre, October 28, MANA: Non Governmental Organisation Coalition on Child Rights (NGO CCR) has called for increased financing for social sectors that benefit children and stronger collaboration between civil society organisations (CSOs) and local councils to ensure children’s needs are prioritised in development plans and budgets.
NGO CCR National Coordinator, Henry Machemba, made the call during a Social Sector Financing Strengthening Programme meeting in Blantyre on Wednesday, where CSOs and Blantyre District Council discussed ways of influencing planning and budgeting processes to better address children’s needs.
Machemba said the programme seeks to strengthen social sector financing, budget transparency and accountability to improve public service delivery in health, education, and other sectors.
“The programme aims to enhance capacity of CSOs to analyse, influence and monitor public expenditure using a child-rights perspective,” he said.
The programme promotes community participation through town hall meetings, social accountability sessions and other mechanisms that enable children contribute to decisions affecting their lives.
Machemba said government budget information should be presented in simple language to help citizens understand public expenditure priorities and hold authorities accountable.
“Limited access to planning and budget information, inadequate coordination, and weak citizen participation in budgeting processes negatively affect social service delivery,” he said.
He emphasised that effective collaboration between CSOs and councils is critical to ensuring that district-level plans and budgets prioritise children’s needs.
NGO CCR Chairperson, Desmond Mhango, stressed the importance of involving children in design and implementation of programmes targeting them.
“Children should be engaged in all projects concerning them so that they can explain their own concerns,” said Mhango.
He said child-focused programmes should use inclusive communication approaches that are easily understood by all children, including those with special needs.
Mhango urged government institutions, councils and development partners to promote transparency and accountability in social sector financing to ensure public resources address children’s needs and that no child is left behind.
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