Staff, local organizations commence child protection training

ChildFund- The Gambia local partner, Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation, Monday commenced a five-day child protection training for its staff, including community child protection organisations at the Federation’s office in Jambanjelly, Kombo South.

The Federation’s management says the training is aimed at improving strategies for child protection mechanisms to create community awareness and responsibility towards the welfare and protection of children, in order to realize their own wellbeing.

Buba Dampha, sponsorship and program coordinator of the Federation said the training is organized to sensitize established community organisations and child social workers of their responsibilities in protecting and responding to potential abuses on children, in order to realize their wellbeing towards national development.

He said child protection in every community should be a duty on every individual, adding that the attitude of neglecting potential child abuses in communities could deter meaningful efforts in preventing child protection activities.

“We take it as a duty to protect and promote the wellbeing of our children. As a Federation working for children, it is part of our mandate to promote and protect the future and that should be everyone’s responsibility,” he said

Federation manager, Alieu Mendy said child protection programs should be everyday implementation activity, saying various abuses that are usually inflicted on children occur almost every day in communities where children of those potential abuses live.

Mr Mendy said the culture of not reporting child abuse cases to available child protection centers and structures in communities have greatly led to the continuous challenges face in ending child abuse and exploitation.

“We have to stop the culture of not reporting cases of child abuse to responsible organisations in communities who can deal with such cases and to protect the image of a child whenever reporting such cases,” he said.

He reminded participants to take the training seriously in order to gain requisite knowledge in their duty in the protection of children towards the full attainment of their potentials.