ABOUT 1.2 million children in Zambia are said to come from highly disadvantaged homes. This has been confirmed through statements by the late President Levy Mwanawasa and other high ranking government officials.
Although the numbers of children lacking quality education, healthcare facilities, schools, parental care and other necessities of life are increasing daily, little attention is given by government and the general public to address the issues.
This has culminated into the promotion of vices like child labour, child sex work, child headed households, corporal punishment in schools and at home, and stigma and discrimination. In Zambia’s culture,a child is last in the line of receiving benefits in form of the best pieces of relish, and other requisites.

The children are normally used to sentiments that describe them to be backward, having big heads, being useless and up to no good even by their own parents.
These trends have lived on through generations and have become embedded in the socio-cultural system of the town and village livelihoods.
Despite having these negative realities, there are some positive aspects that can be enhanced to ensure that the modern child gets the benefit of becoming a hard worker and productive.

These include household chores, ‘Insaka’ lessons around an elderly member of a village or area, rearing cattle after school, running a family business part-time and the values of respect for others regardless of the socio-economic status.
To galvanise all these aspects, the media in Zambia and the children are being mobilised to change the status quo.
The Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children – through its new strategic plan – will empower journalists and child writers to highlight child rights issues and promote the right of expression by children.

A few weeks ago, on May 3, the media all over the world commemorated World Press Freedom Day in recognition of the challenges and roles the media around the world plays in the development of the nations.
With much emphasis being places on freedom of the media by allowing free expression by various stakeholders in order to address national challenges around the world, the media spotlight still shows a lack of covering of children.
At a conference during the commemoration period in Zambia, concerns were raised on the lack of covering positive issues and why certain named media institutions go to an extent of exposing identities of gravely sick, defiled or abused children.
A managing editor from one of the television stations challenged the meeting by saying: “The so-called veteran journalists practiced ‘white collar’ journalism and we are getting details to ensure that people sympathise and do something about the situation. We cannot create an impact if we do not show the face of a child who, for example, has big breasts,” he said.

Even though the sentiments were corrected, they did represent the minds of an average journalist, especially that it was coming from a young managing editor.
The power of the media to build and destroy lies on a thin line. This field is like a landmine where as much as one has to report on abuses, they might trade on danger if they expose children to ridicule and psychological trauma.
Through the Child Discussion Forums and the Children’s News Agency (CNA), the Media Network will be engaging editors and reporters, and children, respectively, to build capacity in covering child rights issues.
This would be done through monthly meetings were editors will host experts to discuss child rights before journalists while the children will be given skills to write for the mainstream media starting from Lusaka to the nine provinces of Zambia in four years.

Like last year’s Day of the African Child alluded, ‘Children should be seen and heard’. Africa’s hope, it seems, lies in the new breed of leaders that would address the various challenges that face the continent.
The best way to handle that future would be building on the strengths that African children are exposed to and eradicating the negatives that cripple and stifle their mental and socio-economic growth.
With children participating more in the media, the nation will see a breed of ‘new champions’ that would advocate for their own rights.
Constitutionally, children in the nation will rely on the progressive provisions that have been put in the draft constitution by the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC).
Currently, the National Constitution Conference (NCC) is sitting to come up with a new document that will set the principle rules for the governing of the republic of Zambia.
It is time for civil society, churches, activists and cooperating partners to utilise the NCC to influence the coming up with a constitution that will protect children from abuse and guarantee them rights to education and health, which are currently not justiciable.

Other instruments like the National Child Policy, which was adopted in 2006, the establishment of the Zambia Council for Children (ZCC) and the office of the child ombudsperson will add value to the sustainable protection of the Zambian child. 
It is apparent that the Zambian society does not recognise the participation of children in national issues. Recently, for example, the National Indaba to determine the mitigation of the global crisis did not invite children or any civil society organisation that represent children.
Opportunities like the Children’s News Agency (CNA) by the Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children will give rise to a strong movement that will demand such participation in the country.

The champions will be giving out information on behalf of many others that would be empowered through knowledge of laws and policies that protect and provide for them. As someone puts it, if information is power, then access is empowerment.

Henry Kabwe