Stakeholders have pointed out Gender Based Violence (GBV) as one of the major problems affecting children and ruining their lives.
They aver 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.
The stakeholders led by Evangelist Evangeline CW of Share the Love Center Church in Kennol, Murang’a County, quip 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 stakeholders 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.
She noted that education for most children has been disrupted due to family conflicts, and the situation has reached a point where children lack necessities, including food and 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 called 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 a 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 the problem,” she said.
She highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach to tackle the crisis, calling for heightened community awareness, more vigorous legal enforcement, and reforms that ensure and enhance child protection from conflicts, abuse and psychological trauma, as well as provide those who subject children to the vices face stern legal penalties.
She noted that joblessness, alcoholism and poverty have escalated family feuds, resulting in children being subjected to child labour to fend for themselves and help their jobless parents.
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The stakeholders deem that enhanced public education campaigns can empower families and community members to recognize abuse early and take appropriate action.
The cleric called for policy-level changes to 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 the establishment of child rights protection desks in police stations nationwide.
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 a suitable 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 noted 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 be prevented from attending school because of a lack 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 said.
The educationist called on the government to work closely with all relevant stakeholders, including faith-based organisations, to tackle the societal issues facing children in the country.
Irene Mburu, the deputy head teacher of Riandegwa Primary School, noted that the main concerns for children in the area are food and sanitary towels for schoolgirls, stating that these are the primary 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.
By Kamau Njoroge
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