Children have the right to take part in decisions that affect their lives, but all too often by their involvement is limited or non- existence. During the year under review, the department organized a series of education forums to promote child participation in protection. The activities took a team of professionals to Primary and Secondary Schools throughout the Country.
Child participation being one of the core principles on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which children and young people freely express their views and to facilitate their views and there is an obligation to listen to children’s views and to facilitate their participation in all matters affecting them within the family, schools, local communities, public services, institutions, government policy, and the judicial procedures.
Eye of the Child also disseminated handbook on resilience: an end to child marriages in Malawi to 2136 children. The handbook “Girls’ Resilience Handbook: An End to Child Marriages in Malawi”, provides a step by step approach on how to deal with the problems girls face due to cultural practices, poverty, cultural and religious beliefs, and lack of models, among others as they grow in their neighborhood which unfortunately forces most of them into early marriages.
As we start the year 2023, Eye of the child is worried that children of nowadays are not respecting their parents, guardians, superiors, and elders at all times. In the process of trying to overcome this problem Eye of the Child has developed a project proposal to address the problem in the year 2023. In reference to child care, protection, justice act (2010), Eye of the child has designed a project that will encourage children respect their parents, guardians, superiors and elders at all times and depending on the age of the child assist them in cases of need; to serve the community by placing their physical and intellectual abilities at its service; preserve and strengthen social and national unity and character of Malawi; uphold the positive values of the community; and contribute towards the child’s own development into being a useful member of the society, but due regard shall be paid to the age and ability of the child and to child limitations.