Civil society organisations urged to embrace child protection policy

Fabien K. Karamira, the executive director of the Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights Education (MPEDH) has urged members of the Ugandan Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to embrace the Child Protection Policy (CPP) in their respective organisations.

Karamira made the call while addressing members of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at a four days’ Child Protection Training Workshop held at Ark Building in Kampala from 7th -10th December, 2018.

The Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights Education (MPEDH) is a not for profit Rwandan based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) formed in 2009 which has since then been actively involved in the promotion of the rights of people living near mining sites in Rwanda.

The training workshop  was facilitated by Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) and attended by over 10 members of the CSOs as well as members of the media.

It was part of the project implemented by MPEDH and supported by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFIL).

The goal of the project is to promote child rights by training representatives of CSOs from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda who are members of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations against the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Great Lakes Region (COSOC-GL www.cosoc-gl.org).

The training was facilitated by Businge Anthony, a consultant working with the Youth Association for Human Rights Promotion and Development (AJPRODHO-JIJUKIRWA), also a Rwandan based not for profit NGO formed in 1997.

Businge noted that children are one of the vulnerable groups of people who require special protection from all institutions in the society.

He observed that every child is potentially at risk of abuse and exploitation and that some girls or boys may be more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation due to various forms of discrimination relating to their physical, socio-economic status, gender, disability or living conditions’ situation.

Businge noted that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Child abuse” or “maltreatment” constitutes ‘all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.

The training was also energised by the presentations from  Tumwesigye Robert Baganda and Twebaze Paul, all from Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) who assured the participants that adoption of the Child Protection Policy (CPP) is fundamental because it will always remind them of the rights of children such as the right to food/nutrition, shelter and care, protection, health care, psychosocial support as well as the right to education among others.

All the participants resolved to pursue the adoption of the Child Protection Policy (CPP) in their respective organisations.