Separation among married couples is said to be one of the main contributing factors that are leading to homelessness of children in the country.

This has been disclosed in Lilongwe during a four-day capacity building training for social workers organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare in collaboration with Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO).

Center Manager for Social Rehabilitation Center in Lilongwe, Peter Magomero said besides death of parents and different forms of violence that children face in their everyday life, rising numbers of divorce have been singled out as one of the factors that have seen many children being homelessness.

“There are so many factors that cause children to be in the streets, but due to the rising cases of divorce, separation among couples has been of the major factors that has seen many kids getting stranded,” Magomero told YFM in an interview.

During the training, participants from both YONECO and the Ministry were equipped with pertinent knowledge on a number of issues to do with welfare of children.

Among others, the knowledge shared upon include; Child Protection Laws on Children, Child protection Risks in Malawi, Children in Need of Care and Protection and Child Counselling.

On his part, one of the participant from the ministry of gender, Jimmy Mokotheliwa, pointed out that the training has been beneficial to him.

“This workshop will help me to fully handle cases of children because previously we weren’t able to keep records for the children, this time around we have been equipped with knowledge on how we can handle child issues.”

The skills, according to the Magomero, will help the social workers to fully understand issues to do with children and their roles as care givers.

The capacity training building training was organised amid plans to reintroduce the functioning of the Lilongwe social rehabilitation center that has been inactive for quite some time.