The real senior Malawi National Assembly in session. The children are trying to emulate this Legislature. Pic by Malawi Digest.By Lucy Liponda
The 8th session of children’s parliament has ended this Thursday here in Malawi’s administrative capital, Lilongwe.
The three-day meet for the young parliamentarians opened on Monday attracting about 140 child members from across the country.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi Digest after the house was suspended sine die; Speaker of the Children National Assembly Clotilda Rebello said the meeting allowed the young parliamentarians to exercise their leadership skills.
Rebello, who is also legislator for Balaka North constituency said the children took time to discuss important issues affecting the lives of young Malawians.
“Right to participation is a birth right to all children and this meeting has helped us to exercise our leadership skills for us to be good future leaders,” said Rebello, a Form two student at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School in Lilongwe.
The Speaker, called upon the Malawi government to ensure that all the resolutions made in the children’s parliament are implemented in order to make the session a success.
“We thank the Malawi government under Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika for all the support rendered in the fight against challenges that children in this country face, such as poverty, through school feeding programme,” she said.
Speaking on Monday when he officially opened the session, Director of Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Women and Child Development, Hyacinth Kulemeka, said government values such sessions as they help prioritize in the national development agenda of children.
“These meetings help in the national development agenda as it is a nursery for grooming leaders because children are able to air their views,” said Kulemeka adding that this will help shape the minds of the children.
The opening was attended to by Plan Malawi International, which also represented all Non-Governmental Organizations and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
The Children Parliament started in 2001 in Malawi and government has hailed it as a success story as children are given the right to express themselves in any way-Malawi Digest.
The 8th session of children’s parliament has ended this Thursday here in Malawi’s administrative capital, Lilongwe.
The three-day meet for the young parliamentarians opened on Monday attracting about 140 child members from across the country.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi Digest after the house was suspended sine die; Speaker of the Children National Assembly Clotilda Rebello said the meeting allowed the young parliamentarians to exercise their leadership skills.
Rebello, who is also legislator for Balaka North constituency said the children took time to discuss important issues affecting the lives of young Malawians.
“Right to participation is a birth right to all children and this meeting has helped us to exercise our leadership skills for us to be good future leaders,” said Rebello, a Form two student at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School in Lilongwe.
The Speaker, called upon the Malawi government to ensure that all the resolutions made in the children’s parliament are implemented in order to make the session a success.
“We thank the Malawi government under Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika for all the support rendered in the fight against challenges that children in this country face, such as poverty, through school feeding programme,” she said.
Speaking on Monday when he officially opened the session, Director of Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Women and Child Development, Hyacinth Kulemeka, said government values such sessions as they help prioritize in the national development agenda of children.
“These meetings help in the national development agenda as it is a nursery for grooming leaders because children are able to air their views,” said Kulemeka adding that this will help shape the minds of the children.
The opening was attended to by Plan Malawi International, which also represented all Non-Governmental Organizations and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
The Children Parliament started in 2001 in Malawi and government has hailed it as a success story as children are given the right to express themselves in any way-Malawi Digest.
Why are you showing us adult parliament. Couldn't you take a picture of children's parliament?
ReplyDeleteU should tell your women to stop wearing those special occasional hats at parliament. We send them there to work and not to show off their hats. They need to be schooled on what to wear and what time - this is embarrasing to see hats in parliament.
ReplyDelete