100 CHILDREN SUPPORTED WITH SCHOLARSTIC MATERIALS DURING THE MUSIC DANCE DRAMA ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

Following the 2016 recent conflicts that erupted in Kasese district that left many families losing their dear ones as well as increasing violence against children and adolescents especially through impacting on the parenting mechanisms of children in the families and communities, Good Hope Foundation in collaboration with ECOS band peace ambassadors on 1^st/5/2017 organized a community sensitization session on violence against children through Music Dance and Drama at Kyatoke trading center in Buisembu sub county. Over 600 people attended the session including the sub county chairperson local council three, the district councilor, security officers, religious leaders and other local leaders.

While highlighting on the impact of conflict, the chairperson LC111 said that as a result of this recent conflict the sub county has registered an overwhelming number of orphans totaling to 200 orphans, many children have dropped out of school, and that many families can no longer meet the children’s basic needs. Through the music dance and drama, key messages passed included;

Educating community members on the value of education while highlighting the parent’s roles and respomsibilities in fulfilling the child’s right to education. To illustrate this, Good Hope Foundation together with ECOS band peace ambassadors supplied exercise books to over 100 children during the event.  

Children being given exercise books and pens

They also commended on the practice of shop keepers selling alcohol to children where they called upon local leaders to implement the district child protection ordinance on protection that prohibits shop keepers and bars from selling alcohol to children.

They also called upon families to fully participate in food production for them to be able to parent their children.

A message on peace and love in the families, communities and schools was also passed while communicating that if violence against children and adolescents is to be reduced peace and love must first be in families, schools and communities. Additionally a message commending on the practice of adults using beating as a form of punishing children was also passed while calling upon parents to stop beating and start using alternative punishments.

The band could not leave calling upon parents to engage themselves in income generating activities as a way of fighting against household poverty thereby facilitating positive parenting. They encouraged parents to join savings and credit groups and also to start income generating projects at home like animal and bird keeping as this will help them to be in position to meet the children’s needs.

Good Hope Foundation staff giving remarks about the objectives of the activity