MALAWI: AWRIM Launches Child Safeguarding Policy
Demand for Child safeguarding in Malawi has been an outstanding development for the moment. In response to this need and recognizing the importance of Child Safeguarding, the Government of Malawi developed a child care justice and safeguarding act and called on stakeholders including church organizations to help implement the strategies within it.
The Association of Women in Religious Institutes in Malawi (AWRIM), in an attempt to protect all children and vulnerable adults in Malawi, have produced a Child Safeguarding policy. The policy seeks to provide guidelines for coordination and support to the Sisters working in AWRIM institutes on how to protect children from any harm and abuse.
The policy was officially launched last Monday, February 4, 2019 at AWRIM Secretariat at St John, Msamba, in Lilongwe Archdiocese.
Speaking after the launch, Chairperson for the Religious at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) who is also bishop for Zomba Diocese, His Lordship Rt. Reverend George Desmond Tambala described the launch as a milestone in attaining maximum protection of children.
“Our focus through the institutions is to safeguard the children from all forms of abuse and exploitation,” he said.
Bishop Tambala further said the Church will ensure that there is maximum implementation of the policy in all institutions.
“We do acknowledge lack of implementation of policies not only in the Church but in many other institutions. We must breakthrough this tendency. We need to go flat out to enforce policies and in enforcing a policy, there must be deliberate decisions taken to change mentalities and to discipline people who are working against or contrary to the policy, he added.
On her part, Chairperson for AWRIM, Rev. Sr. Maria Clara Kapachika said their Association values children hence the formulation of this policy.
“Good leaders come from people who have been raised in a good and secure environment. We have Sisters across the country who are working in all sectors: education, health, social work, early childhood development centres. These will help Government to ensure that people are in the institutions are following the Government’s national policy,” she said.
Among other purposes, the policy will ensure that children are safe in relation to the Religious Sisters, employees and volunteers working in AWRIM institutions. It will also ensure that all Congregations have a safeguarding policy which is accord with the standards as required by the Catholic Church.
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By Luke Chimwaza
