The Director of the Department of Social Welfare in Zanzibar, Wahida Maabad Mohamed, recently presented findings of the ‘Rapid Assessment of the Children Living in Children’s Homes in Zanzibar’ which was undertaken from January to mid-February 2016. The aim of the survey was to collect data on children's homes in Pemba and Unguja.
Discussing the findings, Ms. Mohamed noted that the children were observed to face depression, poor school performance, cruelty, abuse, and stigma. As a result of the findings, she declared the centres as unsafe for children and said new children's homes would now be established under her department’s authorisation. She also noted that the findings would be used to conduct evidence-based advocacy to strengthen the investment platform of sustainable kinship care. According to Ms. Mohamed, the Zanzibar government has already drafted a law that will restrict the establishment of care homes without the approval of the House of Representatives.