Reach out to children says Nasha

Speaking at the beginning of a three-day National Child Care Forum, the minister said that disadvantaged children and caregivers require psychosocial support. Nasha noted that civil society organisations often focus on children at pre-school age and leave out infants and school going children.

She suggested that village child support groups could be set up to provide for school care, and random home visits will reduce incidences of the 'missing child' at school. She said the majority of those missing from schools are orphans and vulnerable children, who are sometimes abused or taken to the cattle-posts by their grandparents for safety reasons. Currently, there are 180 registered organisations throughout the country that look after a total of 5,000 children. "We need to think of what to do with the 40,000 who are without our support," Nasha said.