Challenges and Opportunities for Child-Sensitive Social Protection Programmes in Zimbabwe

Abstract

There is a growing need among social workers and stakeholders that have a bearing on the welfare of children to find the best ways to respond to the specific challenges faced by children and their families. The article interrogates the child-sensitive social protection programmes in Zimbabwe in terms of opportunities and challenges. The review process targeted both formal and non- formal social protection programmes. Some of the social protection programmes include; the harmonised social cash transfer programme, the assisted medical treatment order (AMTO), the basic education assistance module (BEAM), the child supplementary feeding programme, zunde ramambo, and sara pavana among others. The review is based on qualitative documentary analysis. The child rights perspective has been adopted to analyse the sensitivity of the social protection programmes in Zimbabwe. The research findings suggest that the child-centeredness of the social protection programmes in Zimbabwe is severely affected by the nature and level of the challenges they face. The article concludes by lobbying and advocating for social protection programmes in Zimbabwe to put children at the centre of their programming.