Zambian children demand inclusion during the consultation stage of CDF projects

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By Samuel Mbewe in Lusaka

As most stakeholders commends the new dawn administration for increasing the Constituency Development Fund – CDF- from K1.6 million in 2021 to 30.6 million in 2024 which has seen the implementation of various projects in rural settings, children have demanded for inclusion during the consultation stage of these projects.

According to Research Gate publication, children are important stakeholder group as they constitute 34% of the world’s citizens, and their actions will determine our collective future.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) created a consensus that children’s views must be taken seriously, and yet their opinions have failed to inform the allocation of resources used in their name.
Their views are rarely sought during the scrutiny of government despite their valuable insights on the functioning of public institutions.

Miriam Phiri, who is Children News Agency chairperson, noted that most projects being implemented do not cater to the needs of the children and the youth in these communities.
“This is because the children and the youths are not consulted on what projects should be done for them in these communities,” Ms. Phiri said.

Ms.Phiri said this will allow equal participation in the implementation of these projects and ensure that decision makers are held accountable for what they promise.

Ms. Phiri said the constituency development fund could be the main driver to reduce the challenges of Junkies in most communities because the majority of the youths and children have no substantial things to do, thereby indulging themselves in illicit activities

Ms. Phiri said it is important that part of the CDF is channelled to construct recreational facilities such football pitches, netball courts, play parks, and Youth Friendly corners.

“ These facilities are important in our communities because the youths and children are kept busy in productive activities rather than spending their time on abusing alcohol and drugs that can ruin their lives”, said Ms.Phiri.

And Blessing Bwalya, a member of Children News Agency said allowing children and the youths participating during the consultation stage of the CDF projects is important because every child has a right to participate in decision making and governance issues.

Ms. Bwalya said child participation is positive for the development of children and youth as it increases self-esteem and self-believe and has positive impact on the community engagement and active citizenship where children can co-decide on matters that affect them directly.

Ms. Bwalya added that involving children and youths in the implementation of these projects is crucial for the realization of children’s rights and also one of the core principals of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that children and young people have the right to express their opinions freely.

“People have a duty to listen to children’s views and to help them take part in any activity that matters them, this includes activities in local communities, as well as public services, institutions, government policies, and judicial procedures,” said Ms. Bwalya.

Ms. Bwalya said through the constituency development fund it is time to put up more friendly corners in various health facilities so that youth are able to freely access sexual reproductive health services and discuss issues related to sexual reproductive health and rights which can see many young people prevent themselves from unwanted pregnancies and protect themselves from getting the sexually transmitted diseases STIs), HIV/AIDS.

In a separate interview, Media Network on Child Rights and Development Executive Director Henry Kabwe said recreational facilities are important for the growth and physical wellbeing of the children thereby stressing the need for ward development committees in various localities to include the children and the youths in the implementation of the CDF projects.

Mr. Kabwe has noted that in most communities there are no recreational facilities as a result there are a lot of children and youths engaging themselves in illicit activities because there are no facilities where they can spend much of their time keeping themselves busy with activities such as playing football, netball and other sports activities.

“It is important to promote child participation in the country because it will build human rights concept and accountability at an early stage,” Kabwe said.

In responding, Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts Mr. Elvis Chishala Nkandu says the government is committed to ensuring that recreation facilities are put in most communities but observed that the cadres in the previous Patriotic Front Government shared most land reserved for recreational facilities.

“We saw that in the previous regime cadres shared most of the land that was reserved for developmental projects but as government will ensure that most of the funds from the CDF is allocated to support such initiatives by the communities once the land is identified” said Mr. Nkandu, a United Party for National Development(UPND) Kaputa Member of Parliament (MP) in the Northern Province.

Mr. Nkandu urged the community members and leaders to ensure that they guard jealousy any piece of land and not allow selfish individuals to share the land for themselves for the benefit of the youths.

The Minister is optimistic that the rolling out of CDF across the country will help in the construction and renovation of the already existing recreational facilities and help reducing the challenges of junkies in communities who are the youths.