DISTRICT CONSULTATIONS REPORTS CHAPTER 2: Recommendations ? All children must be treated equally regardless of gender and disability. ? Children should be discouraged from discriminating against one another. SHORTAGE OF FOOD Challenges ? Children sometimes suffer malnutrition in times of food shortages. Recommendations ? When families fail to provide for their children, government must spearhead efforts to mitigate the problem. ? Government and the civil society must prioritize food provision to children especially orphans and vulnerable children. HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION Challenges ? Poor access to health care and treatment due to unavailability of resources at the clinics and lack of money to buy the services. ? Children are not being treated due to religious beliefs. Recommendations ? Treatment should be free or at least affordable to children, especially those living alone. ? All parents should immunize their children and there must be a law making immunization compulsory. Parents and guardians not immunising children should be arrested for violating children's right to health. SHELTER Challenges ? Children are living in dilapidated houses and some children have nowhere to live. Recommendations ? The government should construct children's homes for those with nowhere to live especially for orphans and child headed families. EDUCATION Challenges ? Children are being turned away from school for non-payment of school fees and levies. These children are victims of their parents' poverty and the government's failure to pay its teachers adequately. “Vana vakasadzidza hurumende inoshaya vashandi vemangwana.” (if children do not get educated, the government will not get future employees) · ? There is an acute shortage of learning infrastructure and where such infrastructure exists, it is in dire need of refurbishment. The classrooms are also not properly furnished and many schools are still to benefit from the rural electrification scheme. Recommendations ? Programmes such as BEAM must be revived to benefit children in need. ? Government should take its responsibility of paying teachers in time and adequately so that strikes are avoided. Unlike some urban children, most children here are incapacitated to raise and pay incentives for the teachers to come to work. ? Children must be taught by qualified teachers and not temporary/relief teachers. ? Teachers should not be intimidated during periods of high political activity so that they can continue teaching. ? The government and local authorities must provide children with proper learning infrastructure which is safe and conducive for them to use. ? MoESAC should enforce its policies that children should not be sent away for not paying school fees. ? Civic education must be included in schools as it is a platform to inform children of current affairs such as the current onstitution making process. CHILD PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESS Children's consultations CONSOLIDATED REPORT 16