STOP CHILD LABOUR- MPHEREMBE

STOP CHILD LABOUR- MPHEREMBE

By Frank Kauteka Tembo

 

Inkosi Mpherembe of Mzimba has called on for collaborative efforts amongst chiefs and the local community to arrest child labour if education is to improve in the district.

Senior Chief Inkosi Mpherembe of Mzimba has called on parents to stop child labor and encourage children to concentrate in education if Malawi is to develop socio economically.

 Inkosi Mpherembe made the statement  on Saturday at the commemoration of African Child Day held at Mpherembe under the theme elimination of harmful social, cultural economic practices affecting children; our responsibility.

The Senior Chief said child labor is rampant in the district especially in tobacco estates and in families where there are heads of cattle and goats where children are involved in instead of attending school classes.

“Looking at the abuse that our young children face in our communities it could be true that these are still rampant to what extent I may not quantify the situation but when we look at the issues where children are not allowed to attend school sessions all the days of the academic term then we recognize that the problems are there.

“Certain children are sent to head cattle and goats instead of going to school, our young girls when they reach maturity they are supposed to be indoors for two weeks or more whilst they undergo for counseling by the elderly women on how they have to live thereafter. But looking at these practices, I think it’s high time in conjunction with our elders in villages we have to sit down and relook at such practices they are not health at all because they breach child rights to attend to school.” He said.

Mpherembe further said there is need for the courts to consider giving stiffer punishments for perpetrators of child abuse so that they should be exemplary to would be offenders.

He finally, urged parents to be in the forefront allowing children to attend education for the betterment of the country’s socio economic vision.

Mzimba District Labor Officer, Edward Gondwe who was the guest of honor on the day also joined the bandwagon condemning the rise of child labor in the district hence the need for collaborative efforts.

He said as M’mbelwa district council, a lot of measures have taken place in order to reduce child abuse in the district in conjunction with various Non Governmental Organizations such as Tovwirane, Youth Watch Net, Plan Malawi and World Vision among others and various stakeholders.

Gondwe added that the Ministry of Labour is encouraging various stakeholders to intensifying child inspection in the workplaces not sparing tobacco farms and child abuse awareness meetings in the district to eliminate the malpractice.