Chikwawa district pilots child centered development planning

A new district development plan (DDP) was launched in Chikwawa district, southern Malawi. With its population of just over 560,000, Chikwawa lies in the path of persistent floods and drought that wreck the southern part of Malawi. It is also a hotspot for the highly contagious cholera- an ancient disease that still lingers due to poor water and sanitation systems and practices. Chikwawa has high cases of violence against children such as child marriages, defilement, teen pregnancies, neglect and all other forms of abuse.

Through the UNICEF-supported district development plan, there is an opportunity to advance the agenda on child friendly communities as a means to address the needs of the child in a way that helps children achieve their full potential in a safe and resilient environment, says UNICEF Malawi Local Governance Specialist Elton Edward.

UNICEF funded the development planning process including village consultations in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts, oriented district teams on how to integrate child rights in the planning process, supported engagement with young people through school platforms and out of school structures to enhance inclusiveness. This was a departure from the traditional way of developing DDPs that do not bring in young people into the process.

Speaking at the launch on the new plan, Paramount Chief Lundu said the people themselves must own these development plans and programmes, not clapping or cheering like they are at a football match. “Development must start from the community not originate elsewhere. I am happy to see education issues highlighted. Education seems to be root of the problems in Chikwawa and also the key to addressing the challenges that the district is facing.”

District Commissioner for Chikwawa Ali Phiri said the plan has undergone consultations and approvals at various levels to ensure that the aspirations of the people of Chikwawa are adequately captured for implementation.

The DDP has outlined the challenges that the district is facing across all the social sectors and proposes solutions to achieve transformational development. The DDP provides the council and its stakeholders a complete guide on what communities, including young people, need to live a dignified life. The projects included in the DDP are to be included in the council`s annual budgets and guide development partners on what to support for their respective sectors. Chikwawa district council will be engaging all stakeholders to ensure that programme design and funding is aligned to the DDP.

“This new district development plan must be linked to the annual budgeting process so that child-focused programmes are adequately funded. We are also working with Chikwawa district council to improve the monitoring and evaluation system to enhance availability of data and evidence that will inform programing for children. Together, we can protect our children and support them to fulfil their potential,” said Elton Edward, UNICEF Malawi Local Governance and Decentralization Specialist