IN a move that is set to boost support for child protection programs in Zimbabwe, the government of Sweden has allocated an amount to the tune of US$5.8 Million to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), a UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
By Michael Gwarisa
The funding will support different key interventions to protect children against violence, abuse and exploitation. The Swedish funding is part of the child protection fund 3, a multi-donor fund mechanism which is open to all partners entrusted in supporting the efforts of the government of Zimbabwe to provide a safe and secure protective environment for children to grow in.
Speaking at the fund signing ceremony, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Director Social Development, Mr Tawanda Zimhunga said the Zimbabwean government was committed to addressing all forms of violence against children.
Our aim is to create a Zimbabwe fit for children through strategic partnerships and expand child protection financing through the child protection fund which dates back to 2011. On behalf of the Zimbabwean government and my own behalf, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the people of Sweden for the continued financial support over the years,” said Mr Zimhunga.
He added that the support rendered by Sweden will go a long in improving the well-being of marginalized and vulnerable children.
“The Child protection fund supports the implementation of the National Action Plan for orphans and vulnerable children (NAP for OVC) which is a framework that government put in place to ensure collaborative action for the prevention, early detection and timely response to child protection concerns. As we speak, the NAP for OVC is under serious rigorous review to incorporate other emerging issues like child labour and other issues.”
According to data, almost a third out of every three children experience some form of violent discipline. Nearly one third of children as young as up to 17 years are working. Of them, more than one out of 10 working under hazardous conditions. One in three girls under 18 experience sexual violence leading to teen pregnancy and early marriage. 21 percent of girls aged 15-18 are married or in unions.
Ambassador of Sweden to Zimbabwe, Her Excellency, Asa Pehrson said Sweden’s contribution to the social sectors has over the ears contributed to the resuscitation of the health, education, child protection and water and sanitation sectors in Zimbabwe.
“The latest grant of SEK 60 Million through UNICEF’s child protection programme, is part of the ongoing financial support availed by the Swedish government to Zimbabwe in support of UNICEF’s country programme for 2022-2026,” said Ambassador Pehrson.
The new fund will cover a wide range of child protection from violence, abuse and neglect of children, child marriage, teenage pregnancies, child trafficking, sexual violence and sexual exploitation of children, child poverty, children in contact/conflict with the law, and birth registration.
“Sweden’s support to children is governed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Convention is a human rights treaty that sets out civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children-rights that are infringed from time to time.”
Meanwhile, UNICEF Country Representative, Zimbabwe, Dr Tajudeen Oyewale said the US$5.8 Million gesture by Sweden comes after the successful hosting of the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Child Protection Financing co-convened by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, UNICEF, and the Zimbabwe Economics Society in July 2022.
“The Policy Dialogue called for amongst other recommendations, the increased flow of resources to the child protection sector in Zimbabwe, for which I am pleased to note both and increase in budget allocation to social welfare in the 2023 budget compared to the 2022 budget, and today additional investment from Sweden.
“Sweden has been a long-term funding and technical partner to the Child Protection sector in Zimbabwe spanning a period of over 15 years. Much of the support from Sweden has been channeled to the sector through successive phases of the Child Protection Fund (CPF), managed by UNICEF,” said Dr Oyewale.
The first phase of the Child Protection Fund was from 2011-2016 was co-funded by Sweden, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, and European Union and focused primarily on addressing the needs of orphans and highly vulnerable children in Zimbabwe. One key achievement under CPF I was the roll out of child protection and welfare services to 37 districts benefitting 47,500 children through a strengthened social welfare workforce programme.
The second phase of the Fund was from 2016-2022 and supported a total of 268,586 children in 32 districts. During Phase II, the CPF funded the establishment of the Management Information System for the National Case Management System. I am pleased to inform that the system has been decentralized and is operational in more than 32 districts across the Country. The main features include registration of child protection cases, tracking of progress on cases, data analysis and reporting, and performance monitoring. The system generates statistical data of caseloads, hotspots, and trends critical for informing policy and programme decisions.
