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{
    "id": 697443,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/697443/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 148,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ombaka",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1007,
        "legal_name": "Christine Oduor Ombaka",
        "slug": "christine-oduor-ombaka"
    },
    "content": "should not lose. It is a good attempt, but it is poorly managed. Therefore, the children still suffer even though we talk about cash transfers to orphans. The same goes for cash transfers for the elderly. The elderly are very critical in looking after children, especially in communities where they are care-givers or care-takers of orphaned children. Many of those children live with elderly people and when you deny elderly people the cash that the Government has allocated them, you affect the children as well. This is because they live under the case of the elderly people. We have programmes like maternal and child healthcare that the First Lady runs. That should be supported. These are fantastic programmes for child survival. A lot of effort is being put and money is being allocated but the practicality of this work is not being seen. If you go to hospital and walk into the children’s ward, you will find that there are no beds. You will find that they are sleeping on the floor. You will also find that there is no paediatrician to look after them. We need to strengthen children’s health. In conclusion, we need to learn from other countries that have done very well in terms of children’s survival and protection. In other countries, when a young girl gets pregnant and she comes from a poor family, the state takes care of that child. The child has an allowance right from the pregnancy stage to the time the child is delivered. The state takes care of that fully because there is an allocation for that. The doula system in the United States of America (USA) helps. We need to borrow a lot from countries that have done very well in child survival and looking after children. This will enable us improve in child development. There is child labour in this country. We do not talk about it very often, but if you walk along Lake Victoria, you will see small children fishing. They are there 24 hours a day. Child labour is part and parcel of what we do and yet we think that when a child works for long hours, that is part of growing up. We do not see it as child abuse. Sensitisation is also required as we make these policies so that programmes are put in place to address them. I support this Policy."
}