Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) has established a home for street-connected children in Zomba district as one way of ensuring child protection.

Speaking to YFM, YONECO executive director MacBain Mkandawire said the development comes following a directive by the office of ombudsman to the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare to find means of providing shelter to street-connected children in the country.

“What we have discovered as YONECO is that lives of youngsters who are connected and living in the streets are endangered since they sleep under the bridges and video-show rooms and they face a lot of challenges like being sodomized.”

“And we are therefore complimenting the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare’s effort to try and make sure that children living and connected to the street are well protected and supported,”Mkandawire said.

Youth Net and Counselling has been working with children connected and living in the streets for more than 15 years now.