The Minister of Labour and Social Services, Paurina Mpariwa, said the government was struggling to finance homes and donor funding was inadequate.
“We are in dire need of resources to be able to sustain the operations
of these institutions. We have been talking to non-governmental
 organisations and other development partners to help us out but they
also struggling,” said Mpariwa.
She urged the corporate sector to rescue the
orphanages from closure.
“We encourage even the corporate sector to assist in the provision of
social services.
These orphanages are spaces for human beings and cannot be
left to collapse,” said Mpariwa.
She said a meager allocation given to the Ministry for Children in
Difficult Circumstances had dealt a
huge blow to the Ministry’s plans to improve
standards in the orphanages.

A paper presented by the Ministry to the
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Labour and Social Services last
month revealed that the 2013 budget allocation fell far short of the
required amount for the upkeep of children in the orphanages.
“The item was allocated only $200,000 against a requirement of $1,280,000 leaving a shortfall of $1,080,000. This budget item is meant
to support about 5,400 children in 75 private run children’s homes
(orphanages). It also caters for children in foster care in terms of
their daily maintenance and school requirements,” reads the Ministry’s
presentation to Parliament.
The Ministry highlighted that the 5,400 children are entitled to
a $15 monthly allowance from the state and said the provision of
these allowances would be an uphill task.
Fears were expressed in The Ministry’s presentation to Parliament that
some of the affected children might end up on the streets.
Post published in: News