MNCRDAfrica – struggling for children ‘s rights in Zambia
By Denise
Nanni and Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik. In
the following our interview with Henry Kabwe of the MNCRDAfrica, the Media
Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children supporting children in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Would like to thank Henry for his detailed answers.
How was the MNCRD
founded?
The
idea to form the Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (or OVC Media
Network) was muted at a media breakfast hosted for media heads in Zambia by
Care International’s Strengthening Community Partnerships for the Empowerment
of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (SCOPE-OVC) project with the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development,
and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in 2003. One
of the permanent secretaries that chaired the meeting from government suggested
to the media heads in that breakfast that a media network would help to
coordinate the consistent coverage of children. An interim committee to
start the process of registering was led by the late journalist Singy Hanyona
(freelance environment journalist) with others like Chris Wapamesa (Zambia News
and Information Services – ZANIS), Rosaria Lubumbashi (ZANIS), Brenda Zulu
(Today newspaper) and Felix Kunda (SCOPE-OVC). The Media Network’s initial
media workshop was held at Masiye Motel in Kabwe District in 2004 where Hanyona
opted to be the Vice Chairperson and asked Henry Kabwe to stand as
Chairperson. It got registered in 2004 as a Non-Government Organisation
under the Registrar of Societies.The Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child
Development, the Firelight Foundation of the United States, the Commonwealth
Education Fund (CEF) of the UK. and UNICEF started engaging the network.
idea to form the Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (or OVC Media
Network) was muted at a media breakfast hosted for media heads in Zambia by
Care International’s Strengthening Community Partnerships for the Empowerment
of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (SCOPE-OVC) project with the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development,
and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in 2003. One
of the permanent secretaries that chaired the meeting from government suggested
to the media heads in that breakfast that a media network would help to
coordinate the consistent coverage of children. An interim committee to
start the process of registering was led by the late journalist Singy Hanyona
(freelance environment journalist) with others like Chris Wapamesa (Zambia News
and Information Services – ZANIS), Rosaria Lubumbashi (ZANIS), Brenda Zulu
(Today newspaper) and Felix Kunda (SCOPE-OVC). The Media Network’s initial
media workshop was held at Masiye Motel in Kabwe District in 2004 where Hanyona
opted to be the Vice Chairperson and asked Henry Kabwe to stand as
Chairperson. It got registered in 2004 as a Non-Government Organisation
under the Registrar of Societies.The Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child
Development, the Firelight Foundation of the United States, the Commonwealth
Education Fund (CEF) of the UK. and UNICEF started engaging the network.
What
are the main issues related to children rights violation in Zambia?
are the main issues related to children rights violation in Zambia?
The
main issues affecting children in Zambia are sexual abuse, inadequate access to
early childhood education, domestic child labour, child marriages, harmful
forms of labour, lack of platforms to participate in national development,
distance to services such as education and health for children in rural areas,
inadequate facilities for child in conflict with the law, and abuse of orphans
by relatives of deceased parents through property grabbing. A number of
violators get away with it because they either pay their way through parents or
law enforcement agencies. In fact, enforcement is a challenge in itself as many
cases of teenage patronage to night clubs and gambling are ignored by those
responsible for enforcing the law.
main issues affecting children in Zambia are sexual abuse, inadequate access to
early childhood education, domestic child labour, child marriages, harmful
forms of labour, lack of platforms to participate in national development,
distance to services such as education and health for children in rural areas,
inadequate facilities for child in conflict with the law, and abuse of orphans
by relatives of deceased parents through property grabbing. A number of
violators get away with it because they either pay their way through parents or
law enforcement agencies. In fact, enforcement is a challenge in itself as many
cases of teenage patronage to night clubs and gambling are ignored by those
responsible for enforcing the law.
What
activities/projects do you implement?
activities/projects do you implement?
The
role of MNCRD is to ensure that the public know about children’s rights and how
they can hold government accountable to uphold them. It also advocates for the
enforcement of children’s rights from the community, traditional structures,
district and national levels in making sure that apart from putting mechanisms
to protect children, budgets and other necessary requirements are put in place
to fulfill that through the media. To increase child protection, MNCRD runs
radio and television programmes to raise awareness on the laws and services
that can support children. Media bus campaigns to districts to raise awareness
on particular issues such as sexual abuse with the Zambia Police, CSOs and the
media. Child development activities focus on enhancing the developmental opportunities
for all children in Zambia through quality early childhood care, development
and education as members of the Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC).
CSOs in the early childhood education sector have been media skills to promote
access for children, especially those that are vulnerable. Through the ZANEC
members, media bus campaigns with musicians, CSOs, journalists and Ministry of
General Education officials have been conducted in seven provinces. Further,
the organisation has partnered with the Ministry of General Education’s
Directorate of Open and Distant Education under the Education Broadcasting
Services to produce lessons for preschool learners. The review of the
curriculum and the production plan have been concluded. The next step is to
produce the lessons in English for future translation into seven main local
languages. Other activities under his project include radio and television
programmes, training of journalists, media bus campaigns and public meetings.
To promote child participation, the organisation has expanded its operations
from Zambia to east and southern Africa. The Children’s News Agency (CNA), a
group of children that does advocacy and awareness raising through the media,
has presence in 10 districts of Zambia and is being implemented by other
partners in Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The children also produce the
Junior Reporters magazine from these countries. The organisation is also
supporting the Junior Mayor project, to promote the election of children to run
as mayors in various districts and cities, in conjunction with the Local
Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ). We are also engaging parliament to
introduce a child parliament.
role of MNCRD is to ensure that the public know about children’s rights and how
they can hold government accountable to uphold them. It also advocates for the
enforcement of children’s rights from the community, traditional structures,
district and national levels in making sure that apart from putting mechanisms
to protect children, budgets and other necessary requirements are put in place
to fulfill that through the media. To increase child protection, MNCRD runs
radio and television programmes to raise awareness on the laws and services
that can support children. Media bus campaigns to districts to raise awareness
on particular issues such as sexual abuse with the Zambia Police, CSOs and the
media. Child development activities focus on enhancing the developmental opportunities
for all children in Zambia through quality early childhood care, development
and education as members of the Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC).
CSOs in the early childhood education sector have been media skills to promote
access for children, especially those that are vulnerable. Through the ZANEC
members, media bus campaigns with musicians, CSOs, journalists and Ministry of
General Education officials have been conducted in seven provinces. Further,
the organisation has partnered with the Ministry of General Education’s
Directorate of Open and Distant Education under the Education Broadcasting
Services to produce lessons for preschool learners. The review of the
curriculum and the production plan have been concluded. The next step is to
produce the lessons in English for future translation into seven main local
languages. Other activities under his project include radio and television
programmes, training of journalists, media bus campaigns and public meetings.
To promote child participation, the organisation has expanded its operations
from Zambia to east and southern Africa. The Children’s News Agency (CNA), a
group of children that does advocacy and awareness raising through the media,
has presence in 10 districts of Zambia and is being implemented by other
partners in Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The children also produce the
Junior Reporters magazine from these countries. The organisation is also
supporting the Junior Mayor project, to promote the election of children to run
as mayors in various districts and cities, in conjunction with the Local
Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ). We are also engaging parliament to
introduce a child parliament.
How would you define your approach?
Our approach rights based and
focused on getting the interventions where the needs are higher. It uses the
most access form of communication, the mass media, which reaches more people
with the perspective of identifying particular media in a given location. For
example, community media work better for rural areas and are used during the
media bus campaigns whenever teams are there. The same applies when it comes to
sensitising the public using the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC) Radio One – which is a local language channel of the national
broadcaster. For advocacy issues, national English radio and television
are relevant, and direct lobbying using children and other CSOs.
focused on getting the interventions where the needs are higher. It uses the
most access form of communication, the mass media, which reaches more people
with the perspective of identifying particular media in a given location. For
example, community media work better for rural areas and are used during the
media bus campaigns whenever teams are there. The same applies when it comes to
sensitising the public using the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC) Radio One – which is a local language channel of the national
broadcaster. For advocacy issues, national English radio and television
are relevant, and direct lobbying using children and other CSOs.
Do you cooperate with local
authorities and institutions? If yes, how?
authorities and institutions? If yes, how?
The organisation works with the Ministry of Youth, Sport
and Child Development to plan and implement activities.
and Child Development to plan and implement activities.
As mentioned above, it is working with the Ministry of
General Education to produce the interactive radio instructions for the
preschool learners
General Education to produce the interactive radio instructions for the
preschool learners
It is working with the Ministry of Local Government,
various districts, traditional authorities and the Local Government Associaiton
of Zambia to promote child participation through the Junior Mayors.
various districts, traditional authorities and the Local Government Associaiton
of Zambia to promote child participation through the Junior Mayors.
Other CSOs specialised in various fields are engaged to
disseminate information on their issues according to particular topics through
the media.
disseminate information on their issues according to particular topics through
the media.
