The main facilitators of the meeting were PO-RALG who were represented by 2 officials; Ms. Zainabu Kitembe, and Ms. Nkinda Shekalaghe (Senior Social Welfare Officers at the Department of Social Welfare, Health and Nutrition).

From the ministries, MoHCDGEC was represented by 2 officials. Ms. Vivian Kaiza, Senior Social Welfare Officer at the Department of Social Welfare and Ms. Anna Mhina, a Senior Community Development Officer at the Department of Child Development.

Greetings from UNICEF representative. UNICEF was represented by Mr. Mbelwa Gabagambi. In his remarks he was happy that all invited councils were present and that was a very good indicator for a successful meeting. He further said that the training has come at a good time because this time is when we need to improve platforms that children can use to report VAC incidents.

He also said that Social welfare officers need to be very innovative since most child protection interventions at council level always get very minimal funding. He said that if we advocate and show the importance of child helplines and child protection interventions it will help achieving the key results in council plans in 2019/2020 financial year and inform the planning for 2021/2022 financial year.

“Child helpline is a key component in the child protection system and mainstreaming child helpline in our ongoing respective council interventions is very important. This will help to provide children with opportunities to report and improve their safeguard. Please go back and involve the women and children protection committees in planning and always use innovative action. Much greetings from UNICEF child Protection section Team and the Chief of Child Protection Section.” - Mbelwa

Key Outcome (s) of the meeting

• The major outcome of the meeting was a technical work plan that each represented district councils involved in assisting mainstreaming of the National Child Helpline Work in their respective district council plans 2020/2021.
• A follow up plan and evaluation by the PO-RALG was established so as to support monitoring and evaluation of the agreed work plans that will help in adopting activities for the upcoming financial year of 2021 – 2022.
• All participants were provided with IEC materials that will be used to promote the CHL in the respective district councils. These included; 50 National Child Helpline Awareness Posters for each council represented and 300 stickers.

This story was compiled by the Child Helpline team in Dar es salaam.