PM urges proper upbringing
DAR ES SALAAM: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has urged all institutions involved in raising children, including families, schools, religious institutions and society to ensure proper parenting and upbringing of children, in order to build a better nation.
The Premier also urged social welfare colleges in the country to review and update their curriculum to provide solutions to the current challenges in society, while encouraging them to conduct various studies aimed at improving parenting and moral conduct.
PM Majaliwa issued the remarks during the climax of Social Welfare Week and the 50th Anniversary of the Institute of Social Work (ISW) held at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam on Monday.
The Prime Minister noted that the country is facing the challenge of moral decay caused by modern lifestyles.
He warned about the negative effects of moral decay on society and urged social welfare stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening the parenting system for children and youth in the country.
The Prime Minister stated that the government will continue to strengthen the welfare of the people by improving systems, monitoring and managing social welfare issues, and allocating funds for various interventions.
Mr Majaliwa stressed the importance of assessing the entire system of upbringing and development of children and young people, who are the main pillars for promoting values in society.
Regarding the theme of the anniversary, ‘Parenting and Upbringing of Children and Youth for National Development,’ the PM expressed his belief that the theme is timely and will enable the nation to set national strategies to address the challenges of moral decay.
Mr Majaliwa acknowledged that due to economic challenges, many families struggle to find enough time to raise children and young people. He emphasised that parenting and upbringing are crucial for the nation’s development.
The Premier advised Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima, to write a proposal to the Prime Minister’s office regarding the management of social welfare officers who work under other ministries, including the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Governments (PO-RALG).
Mr Majaliwa also highlighted that access to social welfare services is a priority of the sixth phase of the government and praised President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan’s commitment to empowering special groups to participate fully in development and social activities.
Dr Gwajima, on her part, revealed that her ministry has organised radio programmes through the Information, Communication and Information Technology department.
The programmes aim to create awareness on parenting and upbringing of children, as well as moral education among young people.
She emphasised the importance of educating the community through radio, as a large number of Tanzanians listen to the radio.
The Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mr Nape Nnauye, meanwhile, stated that the two ministries have produced 22 radio programmes that will be broadcasted for two consecutive months.
He highlighted that studies show that 70 per cent of Tanzanians listen to the radio, and the programmes will be broadcasted through more than 100 radio stations in the country, including radio stations in the respective districts and regions.
Once the programmes are over, the ministries will assess their impact and send a report to the Prime Minister if any improvements are needed to address moral decay among young people, he said.
Earlier, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Social Services and Community Development Committee, Fatma Toufiq, stated that the committee will continue to advise the government to create employment opportunities for social welfare officers.
Ms Fatma also mentioned that the committee will advise the government to place social welfare experts in public institutions, including Tanzanian embassies in various countries, to ensure the provision of social welfare services to Tanzanians living abroad.
