Just like the sitting in the August house, ProjectM had a privilege of attending to a closing ceremony of a community children parliament at Ntchenda in Kasungu district where the young parliamentarians deliberated on various issues for four days.
Speaker of the Community Children Parliament Faith Kawelama, who is in Standard 6, described the deliberations as crucial in eradicating problems that children, especially girls encounter.
“With such deliberations, we are able to voice out issues that affect us (children) at a community level and ask relevant authorities in making resolutions to curb such vices. For instance, we openly ask each other to list some of the circumstances we feel are a hindrance to our human rights such as child labour in farms, among others,” she said.
Kawelama also said the Community Children Parliament is a catalyst for nurturing good behaviour among the children themselves.
She said; “ During our deliberations, we also focus on how we can shape our behaviour in being good children to our parents and guardians. We challenge each other to be a voice of change to some children who have not joined us here by directing them to have good manners towards their parents while exercising their human rights.”
In his remarks, World Vision Sponsorship coordinator for the deliberations, Noel Lingwalanya underscored the need for other districts to emulate the concept, saying it is one way of shaping the children’s moral values.
“We have a number of areas aimed at empowering children to be among the core center of realising their dream towards developing this country. When children are empowered, they raise issues that are crucial and needed to be considered in the country’s agenda and these community children deliberations should not be underestimated,” said Lingwalanya.
The Community children parliament drew 45 participants from various villages for the session.
