Children Demand Child-Sensitive 2025-2026 Budgeting

By Watipaso Mzungu

Forty (40) children drawn from Balaka, Dowa, Mchinji, Mwanza and Ntchisi on Saturday gathered in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, to provide their inputs and recommendations in the formulation of the forthcoming 2025-2026 National Budget.

The event, organized by Save the Children and partners, which include NGOCCR, Malawi Economic Justice Network, World Vision, Girls Empowerment Network, SOS Children’s Village, among others, aimed to amplify the voices of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Chairperson of the National Children’s Alliance, Hateem Hassan, emphasized the need for increased funding in agriculture to address food insecurity, lamenting that hunger is one of the major factors leading children to drop out of school.

“If they allocate more money to agriculture, there will be more benefits. Our parents will afford food, and we’ll have more exports, balancing our economy,” said Hateem.

During the plenary, the children highlighted pressing issues in education, including overcrowding in classrooms, limited resources, and high absenteeism rates.

According to the children, one book is shared among dozens of students preparing for national examinations in some schools.

“This not fair to the students. It’s like the nation is preparing them to fail exams,” said Holiness, a child representative from Ntchisi.

Save the Children’s Program Development and Quality Director, Burcu Munyas Ghadially, concurred, stressing the importance of child-sensitive budgeting.

Ghadially said investing in children is investing in Malawi’s future workforce.

“We must prioritize their health, nutrition, education, and protection to achieve Vision 2063,” she said, adding that the event showcased Malawi’s commitment to inclusive governance, with children actively contributing to budget discussions.

“It’s not just a nice thing to do; it’s an economically sensible investment in Malawi’s future,” emphasized Ghadially.

Deputy Budget Director in the Ministry of Finance, Levison Chirwa, acknowledged the children’s concerns, assuring government’s commitment to formulate child-sensitive national budgeting.

Chirwa also emphasizing the need for effective resource utilization.

“We will ensure allocated funds reach the intended beneficiaries,” he said.

[END]