The Government of Malawi on Saturday led its partners in launching the first-ever National Children’s Alliance (NCA), demonstrating a bold step towards strengthening child participation, amplifying children’s voices, and ensuring that children in Malawi take the lead in shaping issues that concern them.

At a colourful event, which took place at Chikho Hotel at Mponela in Dowa district, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Dr Nertha Semphere Mgala emphasized that the alliance is unique in that it will provide a platform designed, owned, and led by children themselves at national level.

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“For a long time, some decisions concerning children have been made without adequately engaging them,” said Mgala.

NCA is a platform championed by the Government of Malawi, through Ministry of Gender Community Development and Social Welfare, and its purpose is to champion coordinated and systematic child-led advocacy, campaign and policy influence in public decision making on issues affecting them.

Currently, there is no formal, national and independent child-led organization that coordinates and implements its own child-led participation initiatives across the country. Therefore, NCA aims to be a national child-led coordinating mechanism that will bring together children’s voices, ideas, concerns, and resolutions in a multi-sectorial environment.

By harmonizing children’s perspectives nationwide, the NCA will drive policy-making processes, civil and children’s rights, and foster innovative solutions to challenges faced by children in their daily lives. The platform ensures that children can advocate for their interests and advance their own agenda.

Mgala said the establishment of the alliance signifies an important shift as Malawi endeavors to move away from a culture of tokenism (where children’s involvement was often symbolic or superficial) towards a culture of genuine child participation, where their voices meaningfully shape policies and programmes.

She further disclosed that the initiative is fully aligned with the National Children’s Commission’s mandate of coordinating and monitoring the implementation of child-related laws, policies, and programmes, as well as ensuring compliance with regional and international child rights instruments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).

“Now that we are aware that the NCA is a child-led structure, it requires the support of all of us for it to effectively execute its mandate as an advocacy platform. To all Government institutions, Civil Society Organizations, and Development Partners, you all have a shared responsibility to nurture, protect, and guide the children as they exercise their rights responsibly. As a Policy Holder, we are committed to providing technical guidance, mentor-ship, and oversight to ensure that the NCA thrives as a credible and impactful voice for children in Malawi. Remember , “every child’s call is a cry for help, any response made is a priority for support”,” emphasized Mgala.

Save the Children International (SCI) Country Director, Bhekimpilo Khanye, speaking on behalf of the international non-governmental organizations working in the child rights in Malawi, said the launch of the alliance marked a turning point in the fight for and protection of children’s rights in Malawi.

Khanye said the alliance will play a crucial role in transforming how children’s voices are heard, valued, and acted upon in this country.

“This is a turning point. A dream turned into structure. An idea turned into action. A promise turned into power. For a long time, we have spoken about child participation. We have invited children to speak at events, to attend meetings, to feature in campaigns. But the truth is, sometimes their voices were often symbolic — present, but not empowered. That changes today. The National Children’s Alliance is not a symbolic space. It is a real, structured, and inclusive platform led entirely by children, with adults standing beside them — not in front of them. This platform is not just a seat at the table — it is a platform where children own the table, set the agenda, and lead the conversation,” he said.

Added Khanye, “With equal representation of boys and girls from every region of Malawi, with clear structures of governance, with plans for monitoring, advocacy, research, and education, the NCA is designed to be the central engine for systematic, coordinated, and impactful child-led advocacy. It is a unifying voice — bringing together perspectives from children’s parliaments, learners’ councils, children’s corners, climate clubs, and so many other vibrant participation platforms. Through this alliance, children will be able to speak to power, influence laws and policies, monitor implementation of commitments, and share those outcomes with their peers across the country.”

Commissioner Julia Chimuna of the National Children’s Commission (NCC) said the3 establishment of NCA reflects the Commission’s shared values of inclusion, accountability, and partnership.

Chimuna emphasized that policies and programs that the government and stakeholders design and implement can only be more responsive, practical and sustainable if the children are meaningfully engaged.

“As a Commission, we are committed to ensuring that the alliance is functional. We will therefore provide our little technical support to the work of the alliance,” she assured.

In his remarks, the Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition on Child Rights (NGO CCR) Executive Director, Desmond Mhango, expressed excitement, describing the launch of the alliance as the fulfillment of African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Mhango further disclosed that the establishment of the alliance reaffirms Malawi’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, where one of the articles advocates for child participation within the building capacities of the child.

“So the National Children’s Alliance is creating a national platform, which must have a decentralized role as a platform where all decisions about children must be heard,” he said.

Currently, the alliance is present in only 12 districts. However, the government and its partners have expressed commitment to expand its structures across the nation.

Blantyre District Council and child rights organisations have called for stronger collaboration to safeguard children from abuse, neglect, and family separation, stressing the need for joint efforts to curb rising violations.

The call was made on Friday during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on child protection services, organised by the NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGO CCR) in Blantyre.

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Principal Gender and Development Officer for Blantyre District Council, Stephano Joseph, cited UNICEF’s 2024 report which highlights persistent challenges facing children.

“These children experience physical abuse, child labour, and other violations. This calls for all of us to work together to protect children who truly need care,” Joseph said.

He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to child protection, particularly in risk management and reintegration of children from care institutions.

National Coordinator for the NGO Coalition on Children’s Rights, Henry Machemba, said the coalition, in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, is implementing a four-year Family Strengthening Child Protection Project.

“With support from Norad, we are implementing this project in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Chikwawa, and Mzuzu to reach out to 1,200 families and 3,940 children, including 1,935 boys and 2,005 girls who need care and are at risk of losing parental care,” Machemba said.

Baseline findings from the project revealed that 48 percent of children in at-risk families experience physical violence at home, 70.9 percent lack access to health care, 28.6 percent are malnourished, and 20.5 percent suffer mental health issues, while nearly all families live on less than two dollars a day.

Stakeholders present included the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), Islamic Relief, Aquaid Lifeline, SOS Children’s Villages, and other civil society organisations, who pledged continued collaboration to protect children.

As one way of safeguarding children’s rights through raising awareness on policies that govern their welfare, the Women’s Legal Resource Centre (WOLREC), on Wednesday conducted a training session for teachers and headteachers on children’s rights.

The training, held at Katelera Teacher’s Development Centre in Salima, aimed at equipping teachers with knowledge on laws and practices that protect children from abuse and discrimination.

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Speaking during the training, that was financially supported by Save the Children, Primary Education Advisor for Mgwirizano Zone, Harry Nyadira, emphasized the importance of empowering teachers with the right information to help them safeguard children’s welfare.

“This training has changed our perception of how learners must be treated. Both boys and girls deserve to be protected and treated equally. Previously, the focus was mainly on girl learners,” Nyadira said.

He expressed hope that the trained teachers would cascade the knowledge to their peers in various schools to broaden the impact.

Nyadira also commended WOLREC for its continued efforts in combating child injustices.

“WOLREC is playing a big role in equipping us with the necessary information and skills to improve children’s rights. We are grateful for their support,” he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Primary Education Advisor for Katelera Zone, Happiness Sambala, praised the role of community structures such as Teacher-Parent Committees in promoting child protection.

“Strengthening collaboration will go a long way in curbing some of the challenges we have been facing in the district in fighting child abuse in schools,” she said.

Sambala also appealed for sustained support through the provision of incentives and motivation to teachers to ensure that what they have learned is implemented and maintained.

In his remarks, Salima District Social Welfare Officer, Edgar Kasiyafumbi applauded the initiative, noting that protecting children’s rights requires a multi-sectoral approach.

He emphasized that training teachers is a critical step in ensuring that schools become safe spaces for all learners.

“Teachers spend most of their time with children and are the first line of defense when it comes to detecting signs of abuse. When they are well-informed, they can act early and refer cases to relevant authorities,” Kasiyafumbi said.

He also encouraged schools to establish functional child protection committees to monitor, report, and address violations of children’s rights.

“Every school should have a structure that not only responds to cases but also educates learners about their rights and responsibilities,” he added.

Kasiyafumbi urged development partners and stakeholders to prioritize continuous child protection programs in schools, stressing that safeguarding children is a shared responsibility that must be sustained beyond donor funding.