NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
Care for Nature Zambia has signed a two year grant agreement with Save the Children under the SIDA Driving Sustainable Change for Children’s Right Project to empower children in Mansa District to take action against Climate Change and advocate for improved access to nutrition and health care services.
Care for Nature Zambia Executive Director Nsama Kearns said the project which takes off in November this year has come at a time when most communities in Zambia are experiencing the devastating impacts of Climate Change with children being affected the most especially those living with disabilities.
Ms Kearns said children need access to quality health care services and protections from climate change hence there need to prepare them for adaptation.
She said Luapula province has the highest stunting rates in the country because most children are affected by low nutrition diets due to unpredictable rainfall patterns which affect the agriculture sector hence exposing them to Pneumonia, malnutrition, wasting and stunting.
“An unpredictable rainfall pattern which affects the agriculture sector exposes children to low nutrition diets creating vulnerability to Pneumonia, malnutrition, wasting and stunting, and Luapula Province has one of the highest stunting rates in the country.
Excess heat affects water availability which also creates vulnerability for children to suffer from water borne diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid. Because of these vulnerabilities, children need access to quality health care services but most importantly, they need to be protected from climate change and be prepared for adaptation,” she said.
She said that her organization is happy to be working with children because it cannot plan the future of Zambia without involving the future leaders themselves.
Ms Kearns revealed that in the two period children will be trained on child rights and effects of climate change so that they can take part in decision making and problem solving and get involved in advocating for increased Public Investment in Children’s rights and Climate Change Education.
“We are hoping that through capacity building children will be able to track budgets and monitor progression towards the implementation of National strategies and plans on climate change, nutrition and health care services for children.
Once this project is launched, we look forward to working closely with Government and other stakeholder to ensure that children become a part of the development processes and their rights and opinions are respected and taken seriously,” she said.
