Civil society organizations (CSOs) have called on members of Parliament to strictly comply with rules requiring local councils to allocate 3% of their own revenues to child protection initiatives. This call was made yesterday during a seminar for members of the State Accounts Committee (PAC), the Accounts Committee of Local Authorities (LAAC) and the Parliamentary Committee on Public Development and Social Welfare. The workshop, organized by World Vision in Tanzania, aimed to strengthen national child protection systems.
Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations, Ombeni Kimaro stressed the need to include child protection issues in the budgets of national and local authorities. He argued that continued funding would allow ministries and councils to implement protective measures and invest directly in programs that protect children from harm. «We want the protection of children to be considered as a national priority. Councils should provide targeted funding to support efforts to combat gender-based violence and ensure that children grow up in a safe environment», Kimaro said. He warned that as support from external donors decreases, the government should increase domestic investments to prevent a crisis in the field of safety and parenting.
In response, PAC Chairman Devota Minja promised that the committee would raise the issue in Parliament to ensure the implementation of the recommendation and the proper allocation of resources. LAAC representative Josephine Capone and member of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Development and Social Welfare Kafiti Kafiti also confirmed their commitment to overseeing and monitoring the implementation of these measures.
Joshua Mwakalikamo, a researcher from HakiElimu University, emphasized the relevance of this issue, noting that 85 percent of current activities to combat violence against children are based on unstable external donor funding. Simon Mdikan, Director of Planning and Quality Assurance at World Vision Tanzania, thanked the members of Parliament for their participation and urged them to defend budget allocations, stressing that the country's future today depends on protecting its children.
