10th May 2024

International Day of families: join us in strengthening the upbringing of children

This year, on the International Day of Families, we rally around the national theme of “Accept our differences in families, strengthen the upbringing of children”. Our focus is on how bringing up children enhances a sense of belonging, which underscores the fundamental right of every child to feel accepted, valued and included in society.

Families – the best place to raise children


Families serve as a protection mechanism for children. Children develop, thrive and have better lifelong outcomes when they grow up in safe, nurturing and supported families and communities. However, many adversities threaten the cohesion and ability of a family to provide safe and nurturing care, including:

  • absent parents
  • alcoholism and substance abuse
  • domestic violence
  • extreme poverty
  • inadequate access to education, health and basic social services
  • family death or illness
  • inadequate support and services for children with disabilities and their families
  • the absence of a plan to empower children and young people who missed out on secondary education

These adversities further challenge families’ and communities’ ability to meet the basic needs of their children, as well as to remain self-reliant and resilient. These challenges cause family separation that can lead to children fleeing to the streets or vulnerable to exploitation, violence and abuse, including human trafficking.

Government policies and procedures to protect families


The Tanzanian Government has made strides in setting up and enabling policy and regulatory framework that creates thriving conditions for the family unit. This includes:

  • the Law of Marriage Act, CAP 29, which preserves the sanctity of marriage and promotes family unity, and
  • the Law of the Child Act, which promotes the wellbeing of children and provides for their right to grow up in families.

The Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups and its Department of Social Welfare have also established marital conflict resolution boards and guidelines on their operation, aimed at promoting the sustainability of marriage.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and its child protection teams provide parental skills training while reunifying and reintegrating separated children with their families. The Department of Community Development also works in early childcare and development, and with community groups including village savings schemes.

Despite these initiatives though, there is a shortage of social welfare workers at the ward and village levels, and the limited budget assigned to this area makes it difficult for the workforce to execute their functions of ensuring the wellbeing of families.

Caregivers sitting with children on a sofa

Creating a society where every child can thrive


Improving the economic wellbeing of families through programs such as parenting skills and microfinance initiatives can create economically stable and self-reliant families.

Considering the crucial role the social welfare workforce plays in ensuring the wellbeing of families, increasing the budget allocation for this workforce is vital. Priority should be on strengthening families and providing nurturing environments for children as they transition into adulthood by addressing the root causes of conflicts in families and promoting healthier family units. Running health campaigns and allocating sufficient budget to programs that support health initiatives facing vulnerable groups, including street connected children and their families, is also critical.

Data is crucial for planning and implementing effective interventions. Therefore, collecting valid data on the number of children separated from families and living in residential care settings is critical.

The notion that care for children is limited to providing food, shelter, and clothing is a societal norm that limits the well-being of children. Promoting the understanding that children need proactive, comprehensive care is essential to raising children with strong familial ties who can promote healthy family units. A housekeeper cannot take the place of a parent to instill generational core values and beliefs that promote unity and love. These qualities should be inclusive of all children, regardless of their circumstances.

Given the potential negative outcomes of residential care, including educational underachievement, behavioral issues, mental health problems and social detachment,

this form of care should be a last resort and temporary in nature for children separated from their families. Family care options such as foster care and adoption should be pursued while prioritizing family reunification and reintegration.

The role of children as active contributors to society should be recognized and promoted, while prioritizing their safety, agency and involvement in decision-making processes that affect them.

We call upon the Government, CSOs and stakeholders to join hands in building awareness that the fate of our nation rests upon ensuring children grow up in loving and nurturing families in order to develop, thrive and have better lifelong outcomes.

Let us work together to create a society where every child feels accepted, valued, and included in a nurturing and loving family.

Your support can make a difference in the lives of these children and help shape a better future. Therefore, this call for action aims at ensuring the community creates an enabling environment for family units in the country to thrive.

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Railway Children Africa

We believe in a world where no child ever has to live on the streets.

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