Pangani District Council and other Government organs have
been advised against putting hurdles on the work of a non-government
organization, UZIKWASA that is spearheading efforts to change traditional
mindsets that hinder people, especially women and children form speaking out
freely against gender-based violence and other social abuses.
The advice was given by the Deputy Minister for Water and
Irrigation, Jumaa Awesso when he spoke at a ceremony to award best performing
Village Multisectoral Aids, Gender and Leadership Committees (VMACs) held at
Msaraza village in Bushiri Ward of Pangani District.
He said that UZIKWASA is responsible for changing mindsets
of the people as regards gender-based violence, early marriages, early
pregnancies and other social abuses in the society. “It is very difficult to
separate the development of a freedom to speak out on various issues on the
people and the work of UZIKWASA,” Awesso, who is also the Member of Parliament
for Pangani, pointed out.
He said that he know that the organization has some
challenges that hinder its work and called oin the Council and other Government
organs to work closely with UZIKWASA which is spearheading the transformation
of a society that was previously regarded as having fear of speaking out.
Awesso said that the Pangani society would suffer a heavy
loss if it cuts down the work of the organization which has trained village
leaderships on responsible and transformative leadership and enabled people to
speak out on abuses that have been going for years in the society.
He said the work of the organization has had an impact on increase
in reported cases of rape and oithe
abuses in the district. He said the number of cases that have been reported
this was 58 but 38 out of them have been stalling because culprits have been
reported to escape.
Speaking at the occasion, a young person, identified as a
Child Ambassador, Athumani Juma commended UZIKWASA for initiating the formation
of a ‘Safe System’ in schools which enables school children to report
incidences of abuse to authorities.
He told the audience, including members of VMACs from 12
villages that 51 cases of abuse against children have been reported from
January this year. Thoruhg the safe system initiated by expanded School
Committees trained by the organization.
Reading the children’s message, Juma said that action has been
taken against people who perpetrated the incidents against children he
mentioned as including harsh penalties, denying food to children by parents and
caretakers, missing meals at school, beatings, burning, sexual abuse, rape,
sodomy, touching of sensitive body spots and name calling against children.
He mentioned other such incidents to bewildered audience who
included members of 12 VMACs as being denied money for various expenses at
school, being given hard work and being burned in sensitive spots using being
pricked using sharp tools.
Juma said that it was a sad that in some incidences were
being perpetrated by those who were supposed to protect children and make sure
they get better education sometimes turned against those children by abusing
them.
“Headteachers, patron
and matron teachers and big age school children, out of schoo youth, including
bodaboda drivers and adults in the streets and homes are all culprits in
abusing school children. School girls were the main victims, leading to
psychological effects that lead to these children absconding and engage in
risky jobs,’ he said
The Child Ambassador called on the Government, private
institutions and activists to continue to give awareness education and create
an official system that would give school children a chance to be heard as
regards to their challenges they face
Msaraza VMAC scooped the first prize of Sh. 700,000 for best
performing VMAC for the year 2017, follwed by Mwera which scooped Sh. 600,000
and Mkwajuni Sh. 500,000.(Habari kwa Hisani ya Blog ya Kijamii ya Tanga Raha)
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