Published by the government of Zimbabwe
31 July 2006
editorial
Harare — EVERY child, regardless of background, has the right to a proper education as stipulated by conventions that protect children's rights which Zimbabwe is signatory to.
These conventions empower governments to provide funds to enable children, particularly those from poor families or orphans, to attend school, among many other basic human rights needs.
But it is disturbing to note that at least 700 orphans in Murehwa have dropped out of school and this could just be a reflection of what is happening in other districts.
Zimbabwe ranks as one of five countries in the world with the highest number of orphans and it necessary for the Government to come up with measures that ensure these children get the basics of life.
One in every four children -- 1,6 million in all -- are now orphaned, and this number is growing says Unicef.
It is becoming evident that funds for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVCs) under the Basic Education Assistant Module (Beam) have become inadequate to meet educational needs for the needy children.
This calls for assistance from other channels like the non-governmental organisations that initially assisted the Murehwa orphans before they withdrew their funding in 2004.
Most of the children, whose parents died of HIV-related illnesses, can be seen loitering around Murehwa Business Centre in search of jobs or begging.
The girl children have resorted to prostitution, which is one of the major drivers in the spread of HIV and Aids.
Perhaps the question we should all be asking is what will happen to these children should funding for school needs continues to be erratic?
The other option could be to place these children under adoption but this is a practice that is not carved in the Zimbabwean culture.
Traditionally, close relatives would fend for them like they were their own upon death of their parents.
But the economic decline has witnessed disintegration of family ties as families now concentrate on their own offspring leaving the orphans exposed to various forms of abuse.
These children wander through the villages and eventually find their way to the cities where they get involved in all sorts of deviant activities in order to survive.
We believe education is the key to a successful life and we urge the Government to come up with a system that will empower all communities particularly the rural-based, to ensure all children get assistance for education.
There have been instances where headmasters took too long to submit forms for children seeking Beam funds resulting in the ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services making payments late.
A Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Welfare recently said that Beam funds had been abused in Masvingo and that most orphans were not benefiting from the programme.
The committee noted that the selection process was subject to abuse and advised the system to revert to the department of social welfare that initially handled these matters.
Children's homes that are supposed to accommodate orphans are also facing mounting problems due to lack of funding and resources.
Apart from the cost of feeding the children, children's homes have had to contend with the increased numbers of orphans seeking shelter.
A wholesome approach to the problem is necessary and that includes identifying organisations to support them, and work towards a comprehensive approach to also assist other vulnerable children.
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