A children’s parliament which sat in the area of Senior Chief Kalonga, in Salima district on Saturday urged Government and Non Governmental organisations responsible for their welfare to address challenges affecting them for an improved wellbeing.

Addressing the house during the session, Speaker of the Parliament, Esther Dumbo highlighted challenges such as lack of teachers housing, which hinders effective teaching and impacts students’ academic performance.

She said, “The sessions are crucial as they provide each child with an opportunity to voice their concerns. Every child has the right to be heard, and through these sessions, we can identify more challenges and present them to relevant authorities for timely resolution.”

Senior Chief Kalonga, commended World Vision for sponsoring the event, recognising the importance of empowering children by providing them a platform to express themselves.

“We have observed the significance of the children’s parliament as it motivates youngsters to aspire to become better future leaders, and I do acknowledge issues raised by the children regarding education hiccups,” said Senior Chief Kalonga.

World Vision District Programmes Manager, responsible for Dedza and Salima districts, Chikumbutso Kamwendo expressed satisfaction with the session, emphasising the importance of children voicing their concerns and advocating for their needs.

Kamwendo said children’s parliament sessions enable youngsters to express their concerns to leaders, chiefs, parents, and NGOs, facilitating the necessary follow-up actions to address their issues.

During the session, different topics such as environmental degradation, early marriages, inadequate teacher housing, teaching and learning materials, and child abuse were discussed.

Some parliamentarians will represent their localities at district and national children’s parliament sessions. The Children Parliament drew children from communities of Lipimbi and Chinguluwe, in the district.