NORAD Director Visits Save the Children Malawi, Hails Milestones in Child Rights Programming

Malawi, November 2, 2023 - Save the Children in Malawi welcomed Lisa Knutsen Sivertsen, the Director of the Department for Human Development at NORAD, as she paid a visit today. This visit marked a significant milestone in the nine-year-long partnership of working together to promote child rights in Malawi. The occasion was an opportunity to appreciate the achievements and areas for further programming.

Save the Children in Malawi is concluding a five-year project funded by NORAD aimed at ensuring that children learn, are protected, survive, and that their rights are upheld. This project followed the success of a previous quality learning and accountability project funded by NORAD.

During the meeting, Save the Children highlighted key milestones achieved in Malawi with NORAD's support in the areas of Child Protection and Child Rights.

In a significant update on child protection and child rights initiatives in Malawi, Thandi Kadzamira, Senior Technical Advisor on Protection, shared a range of noteworthy accomplishments. Notably, there have been marked improvements in child protection systems, with enhanced case management systems now operating effectively in 15 out of Malawi's 28 districts. This development has resulted in over 125,000 children benefiting from systematic access to child protection services annually. Moreover, there has been a notable boost in the capacity of Child Protection Workers, with 500 out of 800 in Malawi receiving training and mentoring in vital areas such as case management, Psychological First Aid (PFA), and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).

Additionally, the introduction of Mobile Courts has represented a significant stride in facilitating access to child justice, particularly in remote and underserved areas. These Mobile Courts have been pivotal in bringing the justice system closer to child survivors of abuse, with an impressive 1,254 cases of child marriage successfully handled in districts supported by NORAD funding.

Shifting focus to Child Rights milestones, Donnex Bengo, Senior Child Rights Governance Advisor, underscored several remarkable achievements. A standout accomplishment has been the pioneering of efforts to amplify the voices of children in Malawi. This has included influencing the development and rollout of the National Child Participation policy and establishing a Children's Parliament, a platform that empowers and amplifies the voices of young individuals in the country.

Furthermore, it's important to note the pivotal role played by strategic partners, including the NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGOCCR) and the Malawi Human Rights Commission. These organizations have expressed their deep gratitude for the invaluable support provided by NORAD, highlighting the significance of collaborative endeavors in advancing child rights and protection in Malawi.

Henry Machemba, the National Coordinator of NGOCCR, stated that NORAD's support enabled the revival and strengthening of their organization's capacity. The technical capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) was also strengthened, empowering children to become agents of change for the fulfillment of their rights. NGOCCR has championed public investment in children and child rights and business principles, leading to the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with private companies.

Priscilla Thawe, Acting Director for Child Rights at the Malawi Human Rights Commission, praised NORAD's funding for strengthening the commission's capacity. She emphasized the importance of partnerships, stating that government funding alone is insufficient. NORAD's support has allowed the commission to handle and conclude cases more swiftly and has increased its visibility, with 35 children directly approaching the commission in 2023 to launch complaints about child rights violations.

Lisa Knutsen Sivertsen, NORAD Director, also engaged with the Children's Reference Group, a platform for children supported by Save the Children and the Malawi Human Rights Commission to champion child rights. The children shared their accomplishments and aspirations, and Lisa commended the strong partnerships Save the Children has nurtured in championing child rights, describing the collaboration as effective.

In a moment of reflection on the fruitful partnership, Lisa Knutsen Sivertsen, NORAD Director, commended the partnerships that Save the Children has nurtured with strong child rights institutions in championing child rights, calling the partnership effective.

Ashebir Debebe Save the Children Malawi's Country Director expressed gratitude for the donor support, stating, "We are truly thankful for the unwavering support we've received from NORAD, which has been instrumental in our journey to uphold child rights and protection in Malawi."