By Andrew Magombo and Jabulire Phiri
Lilongwe, November 27, Mana: Executive Director for One Step Foundation, Moses Mwalabu has appealed to Government and Parliament to consider constituting laws that would put an end to dishing handouts in the streets in a bid to permanently deal with the issue of street connected children,
He made the statement on Friday in Lilongwe at a Press briefing where he addressed a number of challenges and recommendations concerning street connected children.
Mwalabu said currently the situation was dire as people who have a habit of giving handouts instill a spirit of begging continuously hence rendering several initiatives to get them off street less effective.
According to the Director, donations are more reliable when they have been handed to institutions that could take care of the children’s welfare.
He said: “We are asking all good Samaritans to follow the right channeling of funds because there are clubs and rehabilitation centres which need more support and these are places which are more conducive to change the mindset of these vulnerable children.”
The Executive Director, who claims to have grown up in the streets before turning into a University graduate at LUANAR University, sent a stern warning to people who take advantage of vulnerable children for their self-interests.
Mwalabu said he has already made arrangements with leaders at dump sites in the country to deny entry at the site all individuals and organizations that come with donations as this is perpetrating street life.
A representative for Cry for Widows, Sarah Mndolo said many street connected children come from poor families headed by widows.
She added that widows are suffering injustices including property grabbing by relatives of their late spouses a situation which renders them destitute.
Mndolo said “Children go into the streets because as widows we fail to give them basic requirements for survival such as soap, clothes and food so we are calling for help from Government and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) like HRDC and Women Lawyers Association of Malawi.”
At the Press briefing, there was no immediate comment from the Ministry of Gender but recently Minister responsible, Patricia Kaliati, propagated for the same cause of ending handouts promising to use effective policies and strategies to cub the situation.
