PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IS POSSIBLE WITH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

 Prevention of violence against children is possible with the participation of the community and parents as primary actors. RWECO with support from the Children's Rights Violence Prevention Fund ( CRVP-FUND) piloted a one year project that ended in 2016 that with concrete evidence of what it takes by the parents participation in their children's education. That was evidenced when 8 out of the 15 participating  primary schools in Kasese district started providing mid day meals to the pupils. What was reported by the teachers wast that, pupils become more attentive in class, late coming after lunch reduced, concentration of learners and more girls finished the term as compared to when some initiatives were done like training the girls in local re-usable sanitary towels ( Nkaiga, Ibuga, Mundongo, St. John's Bukangara, Kitwamba S.D.A primary school teachers gave the testimony). With that evidence at hand, RWECO will continue with the project for the next three years with funding of Euros 329, 644/ from CRVP-Fund. An inception meeting for staff was held, a meeting with the Kasese District Education Department to brief the staff about the project was also held at which a refresher training of teachers from the participating schools was mooted. The D.E.O.'s office together with FAWE focal person and RWECO will conduct the one training per school in order to allow all the teachers in the school to participate. 

Meanwhile, RWECO held a round table meeting with Nyabaghole Agness  Asimawe Ithungu at her palace in Kampala given that the Kasese Palaca is out of reach. The round table meeting with the Queen was an entry point on how RWECO will continue working with the Nyabahgole Foundation -Embaale ya'Nyabaghole tailored at empowering the girl child.

Other activities  included:

 Orientation workshop for CRVP-Fund partners on parenting 

RWECO staff and CRVP-Fund partners at LandMark View Hotel, Muyenga-Kampala, 20-21st, March, 2017

About the project: Community Driven Approach to prevent violence against Children and adolescents in Kasese district, Rwenzori Region.

 

Problem statement

Violence against children in Kasese district is reported to be increasing because of:  conflicts and human rights violations, economic break down in families, Unemployment and high dependency on single bread winner, the existence of single parent households, increasing trends of polygamy, while structural violence as a result of state actions or inactions,

Peer pressure because of trying out new technologies, exposure to bad things including pornography.   Women’s lack of or limited capacity to economic resources is a recipe for violence in all forms and has been linked to violence against children in Kasese district, children are looked at as a household tools for economic empowerment thus being exploited, provide cheap labor in the informal sector, While in the pastoral communities, children fill the gap of adult males by taking on the role of grazing thus denying these young children education and sometimes health services.  At the fishing and salt mining areas, children are held up in the vicious cycle of violence are involved in drug abuse.

Long term out -come Enhanced Positive parenting practices at family and community levels and Creating violence free learning environment at school by 2019. By end of the three years ( 2017-2019) the project will have reached  3200 children ( 1920 girls, 1280 boys),  2400 adolescents ( 1600 girls, 800 boys) 1600 women, 1000 men, 32 community leaders and 35 government officials

Short term outcome Strengthened use of positive parenting practices at family level by 2019. The target for this outcome is, 32 model couples, 5 households per sub-county, 4 religious institutions, 1 cultural institution, Strengthened ,application of   community-driven approaches to prevent violence against children. The target for this outcome is 8 women and men groups each of 30 members ( 20f, 10m), Strengthened VAC prevention in 16 Schools with pupils, teachers and parents are participating in school programs.  The target for this outcome is 200 pupils, 10 teachers and  150 parents per school, RWECO and Partners capacity to deliver on their mandate strengthened

The project will be implemented by consortium members that is KALI, RIDE-AFRICA , RICNET , Good Hope Foundation for Rural Development and one partner Kasese Guide Radio.

RWECO Team:

Margret  Kidima