Child Labor Concerns; How To Anonymously Report Child Abuse cases.
Children and adults have been urged to anonymously report cases of child abuse to the National Helpline 116.
Embu County Children Services Co-ordinator Develyne Mundi said that since the campaign began a week ago, they have been able to reach over 10,000 children through school visits with the awareness messages in the “Spot it, Stop it” campaign.
He also stated that child labor was on the rise, particularly in Muguka farms in the dry parts of Mbeere South and North Sub-counties, where parents subjected their children to the hard labor of fetching water for the herbs, weeding, and harvesting, denying them time to study.
“We want to tell parents that any work denying children education or beyond their capacity was child labor,” Mundi cautioned.
The guest of honor, Mwea Assistant County Commissioner David Mukung, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating these harmful practices.
However, he stated that this could only be accomplished through real-time information sharing with authorities when cases of abuse occur.
Meanwhile, the Loitoktok Sub County Children Officer has issued a stern warning to those who force children to work.
Denis Njoroge told KNA that subjecting children to child labor and other harmful practices had a negative impact on them, which manifested later in their lives.
Njoroge also condemned the practice of female genital mutilation, which is still practiced in the sub County to some extent.
“We have decided to now reach the children themselves to equip them with the knowledge of their rights and how to report cases of abuse to relevant authorities,” said Develyne Mundi, Embu County Children Services Co-ordinator,
School Feeding Program
Meanwhile, Garissa Sub County Director of Education Ali Buthul stated that the government implemented a school feeding program in the region to protect children from the effects of the drought.
ALSO READ:
He also stated that the government is implementing a complete transition program from primary to secondary schools.
“If you know any child who is not going to school, please report them to us so that we can go to them and make sure that they attend their learning,” Buthul said.
Child Labor Concerns; How To Anonymously Report Child Abuse cases
