MBABANE, Eswatini – When asked about what he learned from attending the training on integrating population issues into sectoral development planning, Mr. Njabulo Ndzinisa said, "I will now be able to use data and evidence to design plans that respond to the needs of all Emaswati."
Mr. Ndzinisa (31) works as an Assistant Planner at the Deputy Prime Minister's Office (DPMO) in the capital city of Eswatini, which is home to over 90,000 Emaswati. He is passionate about gender equality and the protection of children. Over the past 5 years in his role, he has been involved in designing programs for the DPMO that mainstream gender equality and disability, as well as improve the social welfare of vulnerable groups such as the elderly and orphaned children. However, he felt that something was missing from his work because he didn't know how to incorporate population issues into planning or understand its significance in development.
In response, Mr. Ndzinisa and 33 other planning counterparts from government ministries and municipal councils attended a 3-day workshop on the integration of population issues in sectoral development planning. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, National Population Unit, with support from UNFPA, with the aim of equipping planners with skills and knowledge on how to integrate population dynamics into sectoral development planning.
"This knowledge will greatly improve my work," Ndzinisa said. "Now I know that population issues are not just about numbers, but about the lives, needs, and aspirations of the people," he said.
UNFPA Eswatini Programme Analyst - Population and Development Ms. Rachel Shongwe-Masuku said that the training was part of UNFPA's efforts to support Eswatini in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action (POA), which are based on the principle that people are at the centre of development. She added that population numbers matter in development planning, as population trends are real and consequential.
"The importance of population dynamics cannot be overemphasized," Masuku-Shongwe said. "They determine the way populations grow and change over time, and have a bearing on every facet of sustaining socio-economic development."
Mr. Sifiso Mamba, the Chief Economist at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, also holds a similar view about the importance of the training. He stated that the strategic guidance on how to package programs influenced the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC) in terms of funding.
"By enhancing planners' capacity on integrating population issues into development planning, they will be able to design plans which will make a difference on the lives of Emaswati. This will in turn result in a development that is both sustainable and inclusive," the Chief Economist said.
