During the latter part of 2018, there was mention somewhere that government plans to set up a Ministry of Children’s Affairs which will be separate from the current arrangement which is just a department under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
This news was received with some enthusiasm by the public as the need has been felt – for some time now – to have this ministry which will exclusively be in charge of taking care of the welfare of children. It will protect the children of the country and work in tandem with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that children are given all the protection they need to grow.
It has been realized that when the ministry of children’s affairs is under another ministry it may mean that it might be treated as a secondary matter which can rob children of the attention they deserve. Children are a very important part of the country and should be given their due.
There is no doubt that any nation that wishes to prosper will have to make arrangements for the future. The future of any country is certainly its children. If therefore the country wants to move forward and build a sustainable future, it has to make arrangements to take good care of the children.
It’s been almost a month since the passing of the 2019 Budget but there is still no talk of the said ministry. Thus, many people are asking about the said ministry. It is hoped that it was not just talk to raise the hopes of the people. Gambians expect to see a new ministry that will be responsible for the children and their welfare.
