The Executive Director of the National Children Authority, Martin Kizza, has directed Community Development Officers of all the districts to ensure vulnerable children are supported to benefit from the Parish Development Model.

Kizza gave the directive on Thursday, February 8, 2024, while opening a training organized by the National Children Authority on the linkage between the PDM and children’s well being at the Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City.

He asked those charged with the roles to implement PDM activities to adhere to guidelines and ensure that vulnerable children are part of the beneficiaries.

Kizza said the training aims to empower PDM implementing officials to ensure that children’s well being is accorded critical attention while selecting beneficiaries.

Denis Otim Otto, the principal assistant secretary of Lira district, urged CDOs to enforce guidelines on PDM and ensure that beneficiaries don’t abuse the funds.

According to Otim, some officials often flout guidelines to favor their own beneficiaries, a move he said could result in serious disciplinary actions.

National Children Authority (NCA) is a statutory body established by the Act of Parliament, the Children (Amendment) Act 2016 CAP.9, to provide a structure and mechanism that will ensure proper oversight, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of all programmes relating to the survival, development, protection, and participation of the child, as well as other connected matters.

The body is also charged with the role of advising the government on the formulation of a national child protection policy and child rights programmes, creating awareness of the right of a child to be protected from abuse, and developing methods of preventing child abuse, among others.