Let's Join Childline In Protecting Our Future

Monitor Editor | Monday September 24, 2018 11:05

Childline Botswana Trust is a registered Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). It was founded in 1990 in response to escalating number of child abuse cases in the country.  The NGO’s primary role is to help abused children and their families through various activities, amongst them public education, counselling, casework and alternative care programmes. 

The initiative to raise awareness by Childline is a welcome one because first of all, there are many people who still do not know the mandate of the organisation, including the very children who are supposed to benefit from its services. 

It is each and every child’s right to enjoy a childhood free of abuse and violence. While, this may be one of those topics that people usually shy away from discussing, child abuse is one of the biggest societal ills facing the country. A good number of children undergo different forms of abuse at the hands of strangers, relatives, and legal guardians etc.  

Some of the abuses are disguised under culture, where adults will sometimes misinterpret certain practices to suit their own twisted minds. There is a common saying in many communities that a child should not talk back at an adult, and while there might be some good reason in this notion, there are those who use it for evil purposes to abuse children. 

There are even some members of the community, who out of lack of understanding, have come across being against Childline, and depicting it as an organisation that seeks to encourage lawlessness in children. 

These factors make it extremely important for corporate Botswana and other stakeholders to join hands with Childline to ensure that all children have a good chance at a bright future and also protection from harm. Let us support Childline’s ‘Run11611’ and participate in protecting our children from harm. 

Many people usually turn a blind eye when they see a child or children being abused, giving an excuse that they do not want to interfere, but the truth of the matter is that it is our responsibility to ensure that every child is protected, hence the need to have such crisis line that both children and adults can use to report abuse or seek help on whatever challenges they may be facing. 

The growing use of social media has also exposed the extent to which child abuse is prevalent, at least more and more people are posting for advice on where they can report cases of child abuse. Let us all commit to ensuring that our children are protected!