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MASERU – UNICEF held a one-day training workshop for journalists to help them better understand how the national budget affects the lives of children.

The workshop, called Media Orientation on Public Finance for Children (PF4C), brought together media professionals from across the country. The aim was to break down complex budget language so journalists can report on it more clearly.

“Budgets use difficult terms, but they decide how much money goes to schools, clinics, clean water, and social support. When journalists understand these details, they can show the public how budget choices directly affect children.” Bob Muchabaiwa, UNICEF Public Finance Specialist

Muchabaiwa led the session and explained that budget documents are often inaccessible to ordinary readers, yet the decisions inside them determine funding for education, health care, nutrition programmes, social protection, and clean water and sanitation. When those allocations are cut or increased, children and their families feel the effects first.

Journalists at the training said the session gave them practical tools to connect budget figures to everyday life. Relebohile Nts’onyane, one of the participants, said big numbers in budget speeches are difficult to translate into stories people can relate to. “This training helps us take complex budget data and write it in a way that makes sense to our readers and listeners,” she said.

Nts’onyane added that stronger budget reporting supports public accountability. When communities understand how money is spent, she said, they can ask whether children’s needs are being met in their villages and towns.

UNICEF is the United Nations agency responsible for protecting children’s rights worldwide. It works with governments, civil society organisations, and the media to improve child welfare. Thursday’s workshop is part of a broader push to promote transparency around public spending for children, and organisers said further training sessions for the media are planned.

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