There’s
nothing
more
fulfilling
than
witnessing
the
transformations
that
these
children
and
adolescents
are
bringing
about
alongside
adults.
Participation
in
school
gardens
towards
nutritious
meals,
forging
safe
and
innovative
classrooms,
or
advocating
in
their
communities
and
to
parliamentarians
on
the
importance
of
climate
action
–
are
just
some
of
the
many
important
paths
enabling
the
realisation
of
their
rights
to
education,
protection
and
participation.
However,
despite
important
progress
being
made,
I
see
the
urgent
needs
that
remain—a
child
too
small
for
their
age
due
to
lack
of
a
nutritious
diet,
a
girl
missing
school
due
to
lack
of
menstrual
health
services,
a
baby
dying
due
to
preventable
disease.
These
moments
are
a
sobering
reminder
that
we
still
have
some
ways
to
go,
as
we
are
fall
short
in
providing
what
our
children
truly
deserve.
We
must
go
further,
faster,
and
together.
On
June
16th,
as
we
commemorate
the
Day
of
the
African
Child
under
the
African
Union
theme
“Planning
and
Budgeting
for
Children’s
Rights:
Progress
since
2010,”
we
are
called
to
act.
The
Global
Context:
A
Shrinking
Pool
Global
development
is
in
the
throes
of
a
seismic
change.
Drastic
aid
cuts
and
reductions
in
Official
Development
Assistance
(ODA),
have
left
many
low-
and
middle-income
countries
grappling
with
significant
gaps
in
the
provision
of
essential
services,
notably
in
HIV
and
AIDS
prevention
and
treatment,
access
to
essential
drugs
and
qualified
service
providers
for
the
technical
expertise
needed
to
sustain
programmes.
In
Zimbabwe,
this
is
compounded
by
a
constrained
fiscal
environment,
economic
volatility
and
the
increasing
burden
of
climate-induced
emergencies.
This
reality
necessitates
a
shift
from
reliance
on
external
aid
to
a
sustainable,
domestic
funding
model
that
puts
children
at
the
centre.
As
the
African
Committee
of
Experts
on
the
Rights
and
Welfare
of
the
Child
rightly
notes,
“States
must
take
progressive
and
no
regressive
measures
on
budgetary
allocations
for
children.”
Zimbabwe’s
Progress
Zimbabwe’s
commitment
is
evident
in
its
policy
frameworks.
The
National
Development
Strategy
(NDS
1)
prioritizes
human
capital
development,
health,
education,
and
social
protection—areas
that
directly
impact
children.
The
National
Health
Strategy,
the
Education
Sector
Strategic
Plan,
and
the
National
Multi-Sectoral
Food
and
Nutrition
Security
Strategy
all
reflect
a
recognition
of
children
as
the
heart
of
national
development.
Through
initiatives
like
the
Child
Budgeting
Series,
launched
by
the
Government
in
November
2021
with
UNICEF
support,
key
stakeholders—from
ministries
to
Parliament
and
donors—have
come
together
on
a
yearly
basis
to
assess
how
economic
policies
translate
into
outcomes
for
children.
These
dialogues
are
not
just
technical
exercises;
they
are
a
testament
to
the
political
will
and
commitment
to
the
well-being
of
children.
Yet,
despite
this
momentum,
the
financing
gap
remains
large.
As
outlined
in
the
SDG
Financing
report,
Zimbabwe’s
average
health
allocation
of
10.9%
of
the
national
budget
(2020–2024)
still
falls
short
of
the
15%
Abuja
target.
In
education,
the
budget
hovers
around
3.5%
of
GDP—below
the
minimum
global
benchmark. Moreover,
inefficiencies
in
budget
utilisation
across
sectors
further
dilute
the
impact
of
already
limited
public
spending.
The
result
is
visible
in
child
mortality,
malnutrition,
and
preventable
diseases
that
continue
to
rob
our
children
of
their
right
to
survival
and
development.
Making
Room
in
the
Budget:
A
Call
to
Action
A
national
budget
is
not
simply
a
financial
document;
it
is
a
reflection
of
values
and
priorities.
As
a
country
with
one
of
the
youngest
populations
in
Africa—more
than
40%
of
Zimbabweans
are
under
15—our
budgets
must
boldly
reflect
this
demographic
imperative.
The
future
cannot
be
postponed.
This
means
increasing
the
share
of
the
national
budget
allocated
to
social
sectors
and
protecting
these
funds
from
erosion
due
to
inflation,
corruption,
or
competing
priorities.
It
also
means
taking
deliberate
steps
to
integrate
child
rights
impact
assessments
into
all
fiscal
policies—ensuring
that
tax
laws,
levies,
and
trade
agreements
do
not
inadvertently
harm
children
or
exclude
vulnerable
populations.
Localising
the
Solution
We
commend
the
success
of
home-grown
innovations
like
Zimbabwe’s
AIDS
Levy—a
3%
tax
on
individual
income
and
corporate
profits
dedicated
to
the
national
HIV
response.
This
pioneering
financing
mechanism
has
not
only
ensured
a
steady,
domestically
sourced
stream
of
funding
for
antiretroviral
treatment
and
AIDS
prevention
programmes
but
has
also
fostered
self-reliance
and
reduced
dependence
on
external
aid.
Another
powerful
example
of
what
smart,
forward-thinking
investment
looks
like
is
the
Child
Nutrition
Fund
(CNF)—a
UNICEF-led,
globally
coordinated
mechanism
that
incentivizes
national
commitment
to
nutrition
through
dollar-to-dollar
matched
funding.
It
supports
countries
to
scale
up
evidence-based
nutrition
programmes.
By
committing
to
invest
in
nutrition
programming
and
essential
nutrition
supplies,
the
Zimbabwean
Government
guarantees
to
double
its
investment,
maximizing
reach
and
accelerating
impact
for
children.
Investing
through
the
CNF
is
a
bold
and
commendable
step
towards
sustainable
domestic
financing
–
and
a
tangible
commitment
to
improving
child
health
and
development
outcomes.
By
leveraging
matching
contributions,
Zimbabwe
is
not
only
addressing
stunting
and
wasting
but
also
ensuring
that
interventions
like
ready-to-use
therapeutic
foods
(RUTF),
vitamin
A
supplements,
and
nutrition
support
reach
the
most
vulnerable
children
and
women.
What
We
Owe
the
Children
Even
modest
investments
in
childhood
yield
powerful
returns—for
families,
communities,
and
the
economy.
Adults
who
were
malnourished
as
children
earn
at
least
20%
less,
while
tackling
stunting
and
malnutrition
can
raise
GDP
by
2–3%
annually.
Education
delays
early
marriage,
reduces
family
size,
and
improves
child
survival—a
child
born
to
a
literate
mother
is
50%
more
likely
to
survive
past
age
five.
In
Zimbabwe,
nearly
one-third
of
children
are
developmentally
off-track,
and
23%
are
stunted,
often
with
lifelong
consequences.
The
cost
of
inaction
is
steep:
violence
and
poor
care
in
childhood
can
cost
up
to
8%
of
global
GDP.
Investing
in
children
isn’t
just
the
right
thing
to
do—it’s
among
the
smartest
economic
decisions
a
country
can
make.
A
Shared
Promise
Let
us
make
the
2025
commemoration
of
the
Day
of
the
African
Child
a
turning
point.
Let
us
enshrine
child-sensitive
planning
and
budgeting
into
the
DNA
of
our
national
systems.
Let
us
move
from
words
to
budgets,
and
from
budgets
to
impact.
Because
when
we
plan
and
budget
for
children,
we
plan
and
budget
for
Zimbabwe’s
future.