Manchester Police partners with Malawi Police on child protection
High level UK Great Manchester Police delegation is in the country to train Malawi Police officer on child protection issues.
Former Manchester Police chief, Sir Peter Fahy, is leading a 14 member delegation who jetted in the country on Sunday.
Speaking soon after after opening the training at Linde Motel in Mponela Dowa, Sir Fahy , who has also been a professor of criminal justice at Manchester University, Manchester Police will be training Malawi Police on how to deal with the street children.
He urged Malawi Government to invest in technology if Malawi is to fully achieve Child Protection.
Sir Fahy said the training is vital since it will sharpen and deepen understanding on issues regarding the child protection.
“This is quite a significant training I have brought with me Police officers from Great Manchester to train their counterparts while stressing on the key role of the Police so that we are able to protect children while tapping experience from Manchester,” he said.
Sir Fahy stressed that technology has played significant role in safeguarding rights of children and guarding them from all sort of abuse.
In his remarks, Malawi Police Commissioner Willie Mwaluka, who is also Director of Community Policing, commended the Great Manchester Police for the training.
Mwaluka said Malawi remains an active Government institution in the protection of Children in whatever category.
“The constitution of the Republic of Malawi section 23 provides special protection to children since children are the future leaders of the nation and they should be afforded opportunity to develop into account their vulnerability and status,” said Mwaluka.
Mwaluka said school and youth outreach programmes have been emphasized in the Malawi Police Service Strategic Plan in order to prevent violence.
In his statement, Chisomo Children Acting Executive Director, Richard Mdyetseni that his organization is considerin opening a child care centre in Mzuzu.
Mdyestseni said plans are currently at an advanced stage for the project.
“As you are aware that we have been operating two centres these are Lilongwe and Blantyre so we thought it wise to have another centre which will help to care for the children from the northern region,” said Mdyetseni.
Sir Fayh, a police officer since 1981, has been Greater Manchester’s chief constable since 2008 before resiging to become chief executive of the African street children’s charity Retrak.
The charity Retrak adopted Chisomo Children’s Club in 2013 and has since then reached out to over 2000 street connected children , children in conflict with the law, child prostitutes, trafficked children and child labour over the past two years with Retrak’s mentorship and support.
Chisomo Children Club has so far embarked on preventive programs on street kids through Self Groups Approach and have so far formed 46 groups in Blantyre and Lilongwe using a USD1.9Million, five year pact.
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