The resounding slogan ‘For every child’, emblematic of Unicef’s noble mission, evokes a profound commitment to fostering an environment where children can flourish and achieve their fullest potential.
However, amidst this aspirational ideal, the grim spectre of child poverty, particularly pervasive in nations like Malawi, casts an enduring shadow, significantly affecting various facets of children’s lives.
A report titled ‘Understanding Child Labour and Youth Employment in Malawi’ paints a stark and distressing picture: A staggering 63 percent of Malawian children grapple with multidimensional poverty.
This alarming revelation, spotlighted in a 2019 International Labour Organisation (ILO) report commemorating its centenary, underscores the urgent need for unified efforts in confronting the profound challenges faced by these children.
Aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2018 report ‘Child Poverty in Malawi’, issued by the National Statistical Office (NSO), acknowledges poverty as a multifaceted issue.
Within this global framework, target 2.1 stresses the imperative of halving, by 2030, the proportion of individuals—men, women and children—living in poverty.
Milestone 4: Reducing Child Poverty Through Policy and Programme Change underscores the pivotal significance of tailoring interventions to tackle the unique circumstances and root causes of child poverty within individual countries.
Given the distressing statistic of 63 percent of Malawian children experiencing multidimensional poverty, understanding the factors propelling this situation poses a pressing concern: Is Malawi inadvertently perpetuating the cycle of child poverty?
Several indicators poignantly illustrate the deprivation experienced by Malawian children, notably exemplified by families unable to afford breakfast.
This scenario underscores the economic hardships faced by these children, where, in some cases, access to breakfast hinges on school assistance rather than being readily available within their own homes.
The 2018 Child Poverty Report underscores regional disparities in child deprivation rates in Malawi.
In the Central Region, approximately 63 percent of children endure multiple forms of deprivation, slightly surpassing the 61 percent in the Southern Region and significantly exceeding the 45 percent in the Northern Region.
Notably, children in the Central Region face greater housing (59 percent) and education (40 percent) deprivation compared to their counterparts in the Southern and Northern Regions.
Sadly, child poverty and multiple deprivations extend beyond impoverished families.
The ‘Understanding Child Labour and Youth Employment in Malawi’ report reveals a troubling reality: 30 percent of children face deprivation in multiple areas despite residing in households classified above the poverty threshold.
Consequently, this finding sheds light on a critical issue— social programmes aimed at boosting income, like cash transfers, m a y overlook a significant number of children perceived living in household above poverty line.
To ensure children facing deprivation in households above the poverty line are not neglected, Malawi must earnestly heed the executive summary of the 2018 Child Poverty in Malawi Report.
This report aims to evaluate multidimensional child poverty in the country, analysing the prevalence and severity of poverty among children, including those in families considered above the poverty line but whose children endure deprivation and poverty.
Scrutinising the 2018 Child Poverty in Malawi Report and Understanding Child Labour and Youth Employment in Malawi report underscores the imperative for Malawi to establish robust intervention programmes aimed at alleviating child poverty.
It is crucial to assess whether Malawi 2063 adequately addresses this issue.
To sum up, the reverberation of child poverty in Malawi might arouse curiosity. This concern transcends personal sentiments; it is a widely recognised issue with far-reaching consequences for both individuals and their nations.
The 2018 Child Poverty Report by NSO emphatically asserts that child poverty extends beyond immediate circumstances, carrying enduring repercussions.
Furthermore, NSO emphasises that “child poverty correlates with diminished skills and productivity, compromised health and nutrition, poorer educational achievements and heightened risk of unemployment.”
Is this not detrimental to the children themselves and the entire country?
