The ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare has urged parliament to consider increasing budget allocation to the Lilongwe Social Rehabilitation Centre (LSRC) as inadequate funding to the social service has been singled out as a main challenge that is crippling efforts to promote the lives of children and women in the country.

This has been observed on Thursday as the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Services toured Lilongwe Social Rehabilitation Centre in order to appreciate challenges that the centre is facing and opportunities that can utilized to advance the lives of children and women.

According to the Chief Director in the ministry Chimwemwe Banda said insufficient funding to the facility is one of the main factors contributing to the centre’s failure to achieve its intended purpose.

“Currently we are struggling to pay for utility bills for the facility and the diet for children is not good,” bemoaned Banda.

In his remarks at the end of the tour, the chairperson for the committee, Richard Chimwendo Banda shared the sentiments with the ministry and pledged to lobby for more resources during the budget review session scheduled for November this year.

However, Chimwendo Banda urged the ministry to ensure that resources at the centre benefits the lives of vulnerable women and children.

The centre is a home to more than 15 children which most of them are street connected children.