Baby dumping worries Steka

About 11 babies have been dumped in Blantyre City since the beginning of 2015, a development that is worrying Step Kids Awareness (Steka), one of the organisations keeping abandoned and street children in the city.

Steka director Godknows Maseko said recent trends are a cause for anxiety to authorities and relevant organisations like Steka, home to 53 kids drawn from Blantyre City streets.

“We are overwhelmed by the number of children that are being dumped by their mothers around the city. This year we have seen an upsurge in figures. What is most worrying is that when traced and arrested the mothers are only given suspended sentences. The aim is to provide the children with motherly support which is never given anyway,” he said.

He said this in Blantyre Saturday during a press briefing organised to announce plans to construct a model vocational skills centre at Lirangwe in Blantyre to provide skills training to children withdrawn from the streets.

Maseko implored government through the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare to push for legislation that prescribes severe penalties for offenders.

The issue of baby dumping and increasing numbers of street kids has been causing headache to the Blantyre City Council and police.

One of Steka’s Scottish fundraisers Nina Dickson said her involvement was pinned to hopes that street children would get better education, hence her organisation’s pledge to help Steka construct the centre.

“Our organisation called Kenyawi Kids is trying to share the Steka’s vision to Malawians so that they can support initiatives to help street kids by providing them with better education. The statistics are shocking; many children are being dumped while others are still joining the streets. They need help,” she said.

Gender Minister Patricia Kaliati is on record as having committed herself to ensure that city streets are free from loitering children.