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Sifiso Chikandi Our Children, Our Future
Over the last three weeks, The Herald has carried articles on child poverty in Zimbabwe (Muradzikwa on April 7, Tizora on April 12 and Nyamadzawo on April 19, 2017).

In reading the articles, I have had at the back of my mind a quote by Nelson Mandela in which he states that; “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

The statistics on child poverty in Zimbabwe are appalling. More so when we consider the high likelihood that the children living in poverty are not only at greater risk of exploitation, but are also likely to bequeath to their own children a life of disadvantage and exploitation.

Interrupting this cycle of poverty is within our capabilities, but we have instead chosen to turn a blind eye or make half-hearted efforts. Both you, the reader, whoever you are, whatever you do for a living, and I, have failed these children and the generations that will follow them.

We do not live in a society that is lacking in resources, creativity or history of providing for the less-privileged. We have claimed pride of place on the basis of ‘ubuntu’/’hunhu’. We claim the best of our culture but do little to uphold it. We claim the best of democratic governance systems and yet do not use the systems to deliver the best possible outcomes for our society. We cite a heritage of community and yet have pursued self-interest ahead of collective success.

Child poverty results from three simple causes that provide us with an opportunity to demonstrate that which we claim defines us — our concerns for community ahead of self, our concerns with systems that work for all, and our culture that makes us a caring people. The three causes are; inadequate resources at household/family level; decision-making that is not favourable to children; and, neighbourhood effects.

Each one of us has several opportunities to affect each of the three causes. We only need to take a decision to be active citizens.

We can assist households with severe budgetary constraints through direct contribution, mobilising community and/or corporate action and/or state action to reduce the effects of such constraints on children. Our neighbourhoods, workplaces, churches, civil society organisations and governance institutions all represent opportunities to act.

It all begins with a decision that each one of us can make — decide now that no child in your neighbourhood shall be disadvantaged by his or her families’ lack of financial resources.

Encourage other members of your community to subscribe to the same values and demand the same of social, civic, economic and governance institutions.

Find out what each one is doing to address child poverty. What are your local authority’s budget priorities? Do they protect children from poverty and its effects? Be vocal in influencing prioritisation and expenditures. Act and share your successes to inspire other communities.

You and I can identify in our neighbourhoods the households with disadvantaged children, where such disadvantage arises from decision-making that is not favourable to children. We need to change the norms and practices in our community.

We need to speak out against the neglect of children and hold each other to account (at least for the most obvious forms of child neglect and/or abuse).

Start a campaign or get involved. Educate others and if necessary, let us shame the fathers that choose not to be fathers.

Let us demand that each family be reached with messages to prioritise children. Let us have that conversation with our neighbours and friends. Living in under served neighbourhoods often means lack of access to infrastructure and services. Such lack of infrastructure not only directly deprives children, but also increases the costs to families attempting to do the best for their children.

You and I have the opportunity to challenge our leaders to address infrastructure and service provision in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Sifiso Chikandi is a Development Consultant; can be reached at [email protected]

We also have the opportunity to make contributions that bridge the performance gaps between institutions in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and those in better served neighbourhoods.

Children should not have to leave schools in their neighbourhoods and trek across cities to access quality education or health care.

In parallel to our efforts to ensure every child has access, we must concern ourselves with equality of outcomes.

We must ensure that those institutions serving the disadvantaged members of our society are held to high quality standards.

It begins with taking an active interest in the performance of institutions in your neighbourhood — the pass rate at the school in your neighbourhood, the performance of the neighbourhood clinic, etc.

When you and I take an active interest in our communities we can achieve much for Zimbabwe’s young citizens. The moment is now. We have the right tools to lend legitimacy and impetus to our efforts. On October 24, 2015, Zimbabwe joined the global community in adopting Agenda2030 which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing child poverty is part of the goals. While nations have committed to Agenda2030, delivery calls for local action by community members, local authorities, the private sector, civil society, and state actors.

The implementation of Agenda2030 requires local energy and actions. There is a limit to what others can do for us, even then, externally driven action will not lead to lasting transformations.

Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals must be driven by us reshaping our institutions and the relationships between them to focus on the well-being of our society and children in particular.

Agenda2030 has four components, namely: the vision and principles (reaffirming commitments to human rights standards and principles); the agenda (17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 Targets); the means of implementation (partnerships for delivery) and follow-up and review (includes accountability to citizens).

The four components of Agenda2030 provide us with the opportunity to localize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within our respective communities while providing a common framework for the consolidation of our challenges and achievements into a national assessment of progress.

We have the opportunity to challenge each other in our different spaces to put children first and break the cycle of poverty. We have the tools and basis for strong local movements and a national movement to end child poverty. It is time to mobilise and organise for action on child poverty.

• Sifiso Chikandi is a Development Consultant; can be reached at [email protected]