By Erik Chiputula:
Minister of Natural Resource and Climate Change Eisenhower Mkaka has called on stakeholhers to consider children’s voices on climate change.
Mkaka said this on Thursday in Lilongwe during the launch of National Children’s Summit on Climate Change Justice which aims at identifying and bringing together different voices of those marginalized and vulnerable children.
He said children’s voice has to be heard on issues of climate change as it affects their rights.
He further assured the general public that what the children will agree during their summit will be presented at the coup 27 expected to happen next month.
“When you talk about right to food, right to education, right to health climate change does affect that it is therefore to give these children platform where they’ll be heard and this is particularly important when you think of the coup 27 which will run from 6th November to the 18th November so what is happening today and tomorrow these children are coming together, putting together matters that are affecting them and when they are done they’ll hand them over to us so that we take them to the coup 27, basically we are giving platform to children to be heard” said Mkaka
Guest of Honor President Dr Lazarus Chakwera expressed his concerns with the impact of climate change in the country but has promised that his government will ensure that there are good polices for the betterment of children.
In his remarks, Save The Children Director of Program operations Frank Mwafulirwa stressed importances of the summit and has urged different ministries to put into consideration ideas from the children.
“The summit is quiet important idea for us Save the Children organizing and because we believe in children voices, we believe in active children participation so at the end of this summit there will be documentary which will be developed and shared with government so we will be falling up with the ministry of climate change and Energy, ministry of Youth, Ministry of Education, what the steps are they taking on those issues which children produced at the end of the summit”
