DISTRICT CONSULTATIONS REPORTS CHAPTER 2: Recommendations ? Birth certificates should be provided in hospitals soon after birth in order to counter the effects of having no birth certificates at a later stage. ·“School authorities should ensure that school children have birth certificates right from enrolment stage and assist those who do have birth certificates.” ? Government should reduce registration fees and registration offices should be localized. CHILD HEADED FAMILIES Challenges ? There are children living within child headed families and they are poor. Recommendations ? The government should help those children and they should be send to children's homes. DISCRIMINATION Challenges ? Girls are often ignored and neglected on issues affecting their families and are regarded to be only important to their husbands. ? Grouping of children in classes according to their performance is discriminatory. ? HIV and AIDS infected and affected children are denied access to schooling and health care and they often face discrimination at schools by other children. Recommendations ? All children, whether boys or girls, should be treated equally. ? HIV and AIDS infected and affected children must also have equal opportunities. FOOD Challenges ? A lot of children suffer during droughts. ? Rural farmers are not given agricultural inputs. ? At home children receive a small amount of food only because they are young. Recommendations ? The government and NGOs should provide drought relief schemes in rural areas during drought. ? The government should provide rural farmers with agricultural inputs. ? Adults should give children enough food not to disadvantage children because of age. HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION Challenges ? There is lack of clean water sources hence people use unprotected water from rivers. There are poor blair toilets in rural areas. ? These combine to cause the spread of diseases. Recommendations ? Government must assist by drilling more boreholes, build and improve the standards of blair toilets in rural areas. ? ZINWA should not only cater for people in urban areas but it should also ensure the provision of clean and safe water in the rural areas. CHILD PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESS Children's consultations CONSOLIDATED REPORT 43