Maputo, 29 Jul (AIM) – Mozambique’s National Social Action Council (CNAS) has announced 22 billion meticais (343.8 billion US dollars at the current exchange rate) government plan aimed at strengthening child social protection by 2035.
According to Nguma Geraldo, National Director for Social Action, speaking at the closing ceremony of CNAS first session, the plan will prioritize pre-school education while not neglecting support for the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The plan counts on the support of government development partners.
“The investment will be channeled for social protection projects under the national strategy aimed at expanding children’s access to assistance and education services. One of the priorities is the National Pre-School Education Strategy, aimed at children aged one to five”, he said.
“We consider this timely, given the context of education decentralization and the transfer of this responsibility to the Ministry of Labor, Gender, and Social Action”, he added.
Geraldo said that the goal is to increase child assistance coverage from the current three percent to 10 percent, through an estimated annual investment of around 2.2 billion meticais.
During the session, an action plan for children in difficult circumstances, including those living or spending time on the streets, was approved, with a particular focus on major urban centers as “child begging is concentrated in cities, especially Maputo and Pemba, with approximately 300 vulnerable children identified.”
The Council also reviewed documents concerning children in conflict with the law, highlighting the role of parents and guardians in preventing risky behaviors and protecting minors. It was also examined the situation of children in schools, in order to reduce “premature marriage, early pregnancy, bullying, and other forms of violence within the school environment.”
(AIM)
MR/Am/
