Stakeholders call for concerted efforts to end GBV, blaming it for trauma in children

Stakeholders have flagged Gender Based Violence (GBV) as one of the major problems affecting young children and ruining their fragile  lives.

They say that most children have suffered significantly due to GBV with cases of abuse, neglect, malnutrition and in worst cases death being on the rise in the country and especially in the central region of the country.

Led by Evangelist Evangeline CW Waunga of Share the Love Centre Church in Kennol, Murang’a County, they noted that the growing vices have left many concerned about the safety and well-being of children in the area, as reports indicate a surge in defilement, rape, physical abuse, and emotional neglect.

While the exact numbers remain unclear due to underreporting, the players acknowledge that the problem is widespread, exacerbated by a culture of silence where many parents and guardians choose not to report cases of abuse, often out of fear, stigma, or lack of awareness.

Waunga noted that education for most children has been disrupted due to the family conflicts adding that the situation has worked to a point where children lack basic necessities including food, clothing while school going girls lack sanitary towels.

During the commemoration of the Day of the African Child held at Riandegwa Primary school in Kandara constituency, the cleric, who is the founder and patron of The Love Basket Foundation, underscored the seriousness of the matter and rooted for concerted efforts to combat the vices.

“We have been visiting schools motivating teachers and rewarding them for their work. However, they revealed to us that children are suffering in silence,

“Girls are even trading sex for sanitary towels while many are skipping school due to lack of food. The problem is deep-rooted at the family level and it’s high time we adopt a multisectoral approach to deal with it,” she said.

She highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach to tackle the crisis, calling for heightened community awareness, stronger legal enforcement, and reforms that ensure and enhance child protection from conflicts, abuse and psychological trauma as well as ensure those who subject children to the vices face stern legal penalties.

The cleric also observed that joblessness, alcoholism and poverty have escalated family feuds, resulting to children being subjected to child labour to fend for themselves and help their jobless parents.

The stakeholders deem that enhanced public education campaigns can empower families and community members to recognise abuse early and take appropriate action.

Waunga called for policy-level changes that will strengthen the child protection framework and ensure that institutions charged with child welfare are well-resourced and equipped to respond effectively to abuse cases, including establishment of child rights protection desks in police stations across the country.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Beth Nduta, an educationist and woman leader from Kagundu-ini, Kandara Sub-county who asserted that Africa children face multifaceted issues that includes poverty, lack of access to quality education and healthcare, child labor, impact of armed conflict and climate change, forced marriage, drug abuse, gender based violence among others.

Nduta averred that in Murang’a County, a lot has been done to secure good environment for the child adding that despite the efforts, especially in Kagundu-ini ward, children are still exposed to psychological and mental torture due to marital conflicts.

“When couples disagree, the victims are the children. They become exposed to molesters who abuse them sexually, especially girls. This finally affects the children in that they don’t get the quality education which will later liberate them,” she said.

She said that the issue of mental health in children cannot be overlooked noting that it’s a vice that should be taken seriously.

“Why a grade 6 pupil should hang himself is a cause of worry in our society. Again, no girl should fail to go to school because of sanitary towels. I urge all residents of good will in Murang’a and especially in Kagundu-ini to join hands to ensure that every child has access to food, clothing, shelter, security, good health and quality education,” she added.

The educationist called on the government to work closely with all requisite stakeholders including faith-based organizations so as to tackle societal issues facing the children in the country.

Irene Mburu, the deputy head teacher of Riandegwa primary school said that the main concern for children in the area is food and sanitary towels for school girls, noting that they are the major reasons for absenteeism in the area.

She appealed to the Murang’a county government led by Governor Irungu King’ara to extend the ‘Tap To Eat’ school feeding programme to all schools for the sake of learners from destitute families.