No child's rights should be compromised!

It points to the lack of documentation and lack of parental interest as part of the constraint for birth registration. However, no child's rights should be compromised.

With this in mind, after being trained in legal matters for birth and death registration, community leaders in the Ngodlhoza neighborhood, in Maputo province, took leadership in sensitizing people in that area.

From this work, it was possible to find through interactions with several people, a high number of unregistered children. According to Paulo Vilanculo, community leader, who responds for block 3.A, of the same neighborhood "about 200 children under 14 years old, here in the neighborhood of Ngodlhoza, are not registered".

Among several known reasons that embarrass the birth registration is the lack of clarification by many parents about procedures for registering children. Faced with this, we have had the support of community leaders trained in legal matters of the civil registry, for the best to clarify the parents and caregivers who let themselves be carried away, and thus marginalizing the rights of their children.

Daily conversations, both formal and informal, are examples of follow-up by leaders in communities. From which, Samira Cuna, managed to take the attitude of registering their children, Filomena Manuel and Jaime Manuel, 5 and 3 years, respectively.

According to the young mother, Samira Cuna, did not register the children soon after birth because "my husband has no documents and do little effort to have them. Faced with this, as soon as I became aware of the possibility of registering our children, I did not hesitate" and thus registered the children even in the absence of the father.

However, things have not been rebellious and Samira clarifies "I talked to my husband and we agreed that I would make the children's register without his name. And then, as soon as his documentation is up to date, we can proceed with the profiling, so that his names also come to be in the children's".

Finally, although she is not at all comfortable with the temporary exclusion of the children's father's name, Samira is, on the other hand, pleased that she has honored her children's rights - for the year, Filomena Manuel, the oldest daughter enters the school. With this, she recommends "we do not have to wait for the year of school entrance, we need to make the decision to register the children", Samira Cuna.

At the initiative of #Government_of_Mozambique, funded by #Canadian_Government through #UNICEF and with support from #SavetheChildren and partners, we mobilize and raise awareness of adherence to birth and death registers (eCRVS). #NasceuRegistou!

For more information, please contact:

Vieira Cumbi
Tel: +258 82 06 75 714
Email: vieira.cumbi@savethechildren.org