Africa-Press – Namibia. PRESIDENT Hage Geingob yesterday said parents, caregivers, and the government exist to create an inclusive and protected environment that enables children to succeed.
Geingob’s remarks, made in commemoration of World Children’s Day, comes as children in Namibia continue to face a whirlwind of burdens.
Indicators show that more than half of the children in the country are poor, while 43,3% of Namibia’s total population live in poverty. In addition, at least 45 000 children were pushed into poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic, making children in Namibia the poorest demographic group in the country. “As leaders and caregivers, it is our responsibility to bring awareness to children about violence in the forms of abuse, rape, exploitation, and discrimination, and to provide an environment in which children are cared for, loved, and provided with basic services to grow to their full potential,” Geingob said in a press statement issued yesterday.
About 20 000 children in Namibia aged 12 to 17 have experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse, 42,3% of Namibian children are undernourished, and 510 Namibian children have been raped in nine months.
In Windhoek specifically, there are underage households and children working on the streets. The government also does not have enough social workers, with 77 social workers employed in the child welfare ministry expected to care for over one million children under the age of 18 countrywide.
This means one state social worker needs to oversee about 13 000 children.
Geingob said the government continues to make great investments in the well-being of the Namibian child.
“To give them a better future by providing fre e education from primary to secondary level, grants for orphans and vulnerable children, and school feeding schemes,” he said.
However, Geingob said a lack of action affects the future of children in the country.
“We should ensure that the well-being of our children is protected and that their interests include any development agenda affecting them now and in the future,” he said.
Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman compelled social welfare minister Doreen Sioka to indicate what steps she would take to ensure that places of safety and child detention centres are approved.
To date, the ministry is still busy setting up child safety homes for children faced with violence.
Geingob’s remarks, made in commemoration of World Children’s Day, comes as children in Namibia continue to face a whirlwind of burdens.
Indicators show that more than half of the children in the country are poor, while 43,3% of Namibia’s total population live in poverty. In addition, at least 45 000 children were pushed into poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic, making children in Namibia the poorest demographic group in the country. “As leaders and caregivers, it is our responsibility to bring awareness to children about violence in the forms of abuse, rape, exploitation, and discrimination, and to provide an environment in which children are cared for, loved, and provided with basic services to grow to their full potential,” Geingob said in a press statement issued yesterday.
About 20 000 children in Namibia aged 12 to 17 have experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse, 42,3% of Namibian children are undernourished, and 510 Namibian children have been raped in nine months.
In Windhoek specifically, there are underage households and children working on the streets. The government also does not have enough social workers, with 77 social workers employed in the child welfare ministry expected to care for over one million children under the age of 18 countrywide.
This means one state social worker needs to oversee about 13 000 children.
Geingob said the government continues to make great investments in the well-being of the Namibian child.
“To give them a better future by providing fre e education from primary to secondary level, grants for orphans and vulnerable children, and school feeding schemes,” he said.
However, Geingob said a lack of action affects the future of children in the country.
“We should ensure that the well-being of our children is protected and that their interests include any development agenda affecting them now and in the future,” he said.
Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman compelled social welfare minister Doreen Sioka to indicate what steps she would take to ensure that places of safety and child detention centres are approved.
To date, the ministry is still busy setting up child safety homes for children faced with violence.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
