By Cosmas Chimaliro, Mana
Mzimba North District Child Protection Committee (DCPC) Chairperson, Evans Mwale has said street children in Mzuzu City are at high risk of contracting coronavirus (COVID-19) due to their vulnerability.
Mwale was speaking Wednesday during a luncheon the committee organized for business community to woe them to support vulnerable children and women roaming in the city’s street in wake the global pandemic.
He said Social Welfare Department mainly tasked to support vulnerable children is overwhelmed as it has limited resources.
“Social Welfare Department is failing to satisfy the needs of street children in terms of repatriation and integration as it has limited resources.
“In the advent of coronavirus, the problems of the street children are now compounded requiring the support of other stakeholders if the street children are to be saved from the pandemic,” he said.
SOS Villages Malawi Programs Director for the North, Gorge Kondowe expressed the need for concerted efforts in providing support to the vulnerable children.
Kondowe said besides removing the vulnerable children from the streets there is also need for the provision of hygiene messages like frequent hand washing with soap and observation of distance among other interventions to avert contracting the coronavirus.
Mzuzu Police Victim Support Unit (VSU) report says in the month of February 15 children were trafficked, about nine were found in the streets each day and 12 cases of repatriation.
Kondowe said the situation explains the seriousness of the problem.
Mzimba North DCPC is in the process of opening up an account with National Bank of Malawi in which well-wishers can deposit funds towards assisting the vulnerable children.
CCAP Livingstonia Synod has since donated a cheque worth K50, 000 for the same cause.
However, the patronage of the targeted business community was allegedly compromised attributable to coronavirus pandemic.
