By Kuda Pembere
Amidst the rising informal employment in Zimbabwe, it is important to establish child care centres for the health and safety of children, experts and advocates said Tuesday.
This came out during Validation Workshop for a Diagnostic Assessment on Provision of Care Services Through Cooperatives and Other Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Entities.
A five-month country-level assessment done between October 2023 and March 2024 modeled after those conducted in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Colombia, was implemented in Zimbabwe, with a particular emphasis on Harare.
Experts and advocates for social security who spoke to this publication in separate interviews said safety for children was pivotal to avert mortality and disease.
“With the development of these cooperatives and safe spaces for children to be in, the child will be in a safe place. There will be a place where there is sanitation as well. And the idea is also from the participants as well, where some have noted that you cannot only provide a safe place for the children but you also need to cater for mothers or the parents.
“You’ll find that this initiative, they can build up on it, maybe starting with the care facility for children, removing the children from unsanitary conditions, unsafe conditions into safe conditions, but then build up further and provide safe marketplaces for the mothers that are engaged in the informal work as well,” Ms Nicola Yon said.
She also said there have been instances where children get accidentally run over by vehicles while playing at their parents’ vending areas.
“In terms of safety, so you find that by providing these care centers, children are removed from the streets. You have cases where a child picked up glue, then they stuck their mouth with super glue because the mother was more concentrated on economic activity.“You find that because these people, mostly those engaged in the informal economy, are selling in undesignated places, then there’s then clashes that occur with the city council, and then you have cases of children being accidentally run over,” Yon said.
StreetNet International president Ms Lorraine Ndhlovu said at a presentation she did in Austria, she focused on child care and vending as many accidents have been occurring at vending sites.
“And they were discussing care, but in a very different manner. No one was talking about care in the informal economy.
“So, I made that presentation on care in the informal economy. I just decided to concentrate on child care because I was saying we, as women and parents take so much time doing care work and we also have to care for our children.
“But the most important thing which stood out was that we have seen a lot of accidents and some children are being affected health-wise because they have to be where the parent is while they work, which is in the street, in the market,” she said. “In the market they just play on the market ground which is not a very clean environment. This does not only apply to Zimbabwe but also speaking on a global observation to say the children are endangered health wise, the children are endangered because they may not get the opportunity to learn and play like other children.”
She said there is need to establish play centers, child care centers within or near the places where their parents work.
“We can establish play centers in the markets. We can establish child care centers within the markets. Or where people have cooperatives, there are some cooperatives that have already got land that they are working on,” Ndhlovu said.
Ms Angelica Garira, from a Health cooperative said while there are few of cooperatives focusing on health issues, they could benefit on offering child care services to vendors. She also said nursing assistants or nurse aid make the best child carers given they have the training even to look after children with disabilities.
“But we can say the nurse aids the ones who are trained already, are the best domestic helpers for child care services.
“They are better because they have the training, starting from the health aspect for infection control. They are trained, they have the etiquette, the respect, they are even trained to do care for those children with disabilities because they are already trained for that,” she said.
ILO Director for Zimbabwe Ms Philile Masuku in a speech read on her behalf by Audrey Charamba, the Programme Officer for HIV/AIDS and Gender said the demand for care was growing globally noting the gender care gap was much exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today, care is provided in myriad forms, from childcare to care for older persons and persons with disabilities or illnesses with support needs.
“The need for care is growing worldwide, driven by demographic shifts including the growing ageing population and the rising number of persons living with chronic illnesses.
“Despite the growing demand for care services, those working in the care economy (most typically informal, women workers) often experience low wages, limited benefits, and poor working conditions,” she said.
Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Permanent Secretary Dr Mavis Sibanda represented by Acting Director Programme Management Department Mrs Takesure Murwisi decried how the care economy enabled individuals to participate in formal economy, yet it remains undervalued.
“This national assessment is a significant milestone in our journey toward a more inclusive and equitable society. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the care economy’s scope, challenges and opportunities,” the Permanent secretary said.
According to a report produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the informal sector employs more than 80% of the population in Zimbabwe.
