The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary in charge of Social Welfare and Child Development, Ms. Angela Kawandami, has met with the newly appointed UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Saja Abdullah, and pledged continued collaboration between the Government and UNICEF.

Ms. Kawandami said the Government, through the Ministry, has recorded significant achievements across a wide range of programmes, including ending violence against children, strengthening child protection systems, advancing nutrition initiatives, and improving child survival outcomes.

She further praised the strong teamwork between the Ministry and UNICEF, noting that this partnership has yielded major milestones such as the Children’s Day regional celebration, which has expanded to nine countries due to UNICEF’s unwavering support and coordination.

Ms. Kawandami acknowledged that while much progress has been made, there is still more work to be done and expressed optimism that UNICEF will remain a formidable partner in advancing Zambia’s social protection system.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Saja Abdullah, commended the longstanding collaboration between UNICEF and the Government in advancing human development and fostering one of the region’s strongest social protection systems.

Dr. Abdullah acknowledged the critical role played by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, highlighting its visionary leadership and pledged to further strengthen and deepen the partnership with Government.

She also praised the Ministry for achieving key milestones, particularly the success of the United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection, which she noted has delivered significant results.

Dr. Abdullah further disclosed that UNICEF has signed three major agreements with donors, from the United Kingdom,Switzerland, and Sweden, aimed at strengthening human development programmes in the country.