02/11/2026
SOS INTRODUCES THREE-YEAR CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMME IN NKHATA BAY
SOS Children's Villages has introduced a three-year child protection programme in Nkhata Bay District aimed at strengthening vulnerable families' capacity to provide care and protection for their children.
Speaking during a District Child Protection Technical Working Group meeting on Monday at the Council Chamber, SOS Children's Villages Mzuzu Programme Director Paul Nyirongo said the Mwana Ndiwa Tonse Programme would complement government efforts in promoting child protection.
According to Nyirongo, the programme, which will run from September 2026 to August 2029 with funding from SOS Norway, targets 1,200 families in Nkhata Bay.
"This project seeks to improve the capacity of families to care for their children," said Nyirongo, adding that the initiative would provide direct cash support to strengthen household economic capacity and promote positive parenting practices.
He said the programme would also provide mental health support to parents and caregivers while strengthening community structures such as community-based organisations, area development committees and child protection committees to improve responses to children's needs.
Nyirongo called on the District Council to provide guidance, collaboration and oversight throughout the programme's implementation, stressing that SOS Children's Villages could not achieve its objectives without the involvement of local authorities and communities.
"They have to take us to the communities where we want to implement this programme, and they also have to hold us accountable," he said, urging stakeholders to ensure that resources reach the intended beneficiaries.
In his remarks, Nkhata Bay District Council Social Welfare Officer Arnold Satumba said many families in the district lacked the economic capacity to adequately care for their children.
He said reported child protection cases included violence, abuse and exploitation, adding that stakeholders needed to strengthen coordination to avoid duplication of interventions and ensure the programme achieves its intended objectives.
Bay District Council Media Team