Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza, has commended the United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the role it plays in promoting the wellbeing of children in the country.

Speaking when she held an audience with the new UNICEF Resident Representative to Malawi, Shadreck Omol, in Lilongwe on Monday, the Minister said that with technical and financial support from UNICEF, her ministry has established various programs and initiatives.

She cited programs such as re-integration of children under alternative care, promotion of integrated early childhood development, social cash transfers, orphans, and other vulnerable child services as some of the programs that UNICEF has supported.

“UNICEF has also supported the Ministry in the implementation of the Child Protection Information Management System (CPMIS) as well as building the capacity of social welfare officers, community child protection workers, and other structures working in child protection,” said the Minister, adding that the organization also provided emergency response when Cyclone Freddy hit the country.

Sendeza expressed her ministry’s commitment to ensure effective collaboration for the benefit of vulnerable groups in the country. Effective collaboration, she added, would also ensure an enabling environment for development partners, including UNICEF, to thrive.

In his remarks, Omol pledged his organization’s continued support. According to Omol, programs like early childhood development (ECD) play a big role in every country, hence the need for more support.

“Count on us for support as long as it is within our mandate. With quality engagement, we can accomplish a lot of things,” he said.

By Pauline Kaude.