Child protection: A task for
everyone amid trying times
 |
| Smiling Africa children (ANSA) |
Safeguarding Coordinator of the Jesuit Conference of Africa
and Madagascar (JCAM), Beatrice Mumbi, discusses child protection and calls for
proactive involvement in challenging abusive practices.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
In recent months, many countries across the world imposed
mandatory lockdown measures to check the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Economic
and social activities ground to a halt. Millions lost their job. Many lost
family members and friends. The world is still straining under the effects of
the pandemic - some of which are still emerging.
One group of people that have been severely affected during
the lockdown are victims of domestic violence and abuse. Many of whom were and
perhaps are still trapped at home with their abusers which may include partners
or family relatives.
Widespread media reports indicate a rise in domestic
violence and other forms of abuse during this period, with emphasis on the
impact on women and children.
While most countries provide services to aid victims of
abuse, many religious, charity and NGOs supplement government efforts by
providing alternative support options. One example is the child protection
office run by the Society of Jesus in Africa.
In an interview with Vatican News, the Protection
Coordinator of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), Beatrice
Mumbi, discusses the important task of protection of children and vulnerable
adults, particularly in extraordinary situations such as this global health
crisis.
Child protection and safeguarding
Mumbi explains that JCAM’s Child Protection Policy involves
promoting the welfare of children in the apostolates run by the Society of
Jesus and in the community at large.
“It entails making sure that children do not get harmed … It
entails recognizing that there is a lot of violence in families and in society,
and working towards ensuring that violence is reduced; and ensuring that those
who have already faced violence and harm can get access to support services.”
She points out that one Jesuit has been given the task of
overseeing training and sensitization in Jesuit institutions in each one of the
nine Jesuit provinces constituting JCAM.
“We are creating a network of people who have been trained
and sensitized and therefore they are able to take action at their level – they
know where they can take a child who has been abused, they know where to report
following the laws of their country, and they know where to seek for medical
help.
However, Mumbi stresses that the work of protection is not
limited to protecting children alone. “Children do not exist alone, they live
in families and in communities”, she said adding that “to the extent that
families need to ensure children are safe, we are also concerned about families
and women.”
Abuse increase during lockdown
Replying to a question about a rise in the rate of abuse
during the lockdown, Mumbi affirms that this was partly due to abuse victims being
locked down in the same space with their abusers despite ongoing violence.
She explains that before the restrictions, victims could
evade abuse by going to stay with neighbors. But during the lockdown, she
added, “victims of abuse do not really have an alternative; they have nowhere
to go when abuse happens.”
Mumbi also attributes the increase in abuse during the
lockdown to a loss of income - especially for those who depend on money
from manual or informal jobs. She points out that the resulting economic stress
from the loss of income led to more people resorting to violence to resolve
small conflicts, inevitably affecting women and children more.
JCAM Child Protection Officers
Adapting child protection to the pandemic situation
JCAM's primary contact point with children are schools,
churches and institutions. Due to their closure, Mumbi said that the Child
Protection office redirected its services towards providing food items and
vouchers for families facing the risk of starvation due to loss of
income.
These efforts aim to “cushion the effect on families that
have lost livelihoods and income and, in a way, avoid economic stress that
leads to abuse within families,” she explained.
Assisting the work of child protection
Mumbi encourages everyone to be involved in the protection
of children and vulnerable adults. She notes sadly that a lot of times, people
act like they do not see abuse situations or pretend like it is none of their
business. Mumbi points out that “if everybody felt that it is their duty to
protect children as well as vulnerable adults, things will be very different.”
“The public needs to proactively challenge abusive
practices, the public also needs to actively intervene in cases of abuse,”
Mumbi said.
She added that “we are all born with God-ordained dignity
and if we appreciated everybody and respected the dignity of everybody -
including children and the vulnerable, then we will begin creating a culture
that allows children to live a life free from violence and abuse.”
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