11 Mar 2019

Botswana Organisation of Fathers and Children at Risk (BOFCAR) has been encouraged to establish structures that will instill confidence in children as well as create a life free from abuse for all the children.

 

The Assistance Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlogile Tshireletso said it was pleasing to see the civil society joining hands with the government to ensure that children were protected from array of abuse, exploitation and negligence.

 

Ms Tshireletso said there were many factors that contributed to the alarming rate of child abuse, exploitation and neglect in the country and it had become important that children’s issues be taken serious because they were the future leaders that needed to be nurtured, guided and protected.

 

It was in this view that BOFCAR took efforts to bring together academics, officials from government and NGOs, child protection practitioners and other stakeholders to engage one another in enhancing the capacity of the existing structures which support vulnerable children.

 

Ms Tshireletso said while she acknowledged that the organisation was constrained by many challenges such as lack of resources, weak coordination and lack of spirit of volunteerism, she urged BOFCRA to continue with the noble gestures and encouraged them to do the best with the little they have.

 

The government, she said had invested a lot to promote the rights and welfare of the child. She added that ‘the Children’s Act of 2009, spells out the rights and obligations of various stakeholders who have stake in the lives of children.’

 

BOFCAR conference which was held under the theme, “A future that matters: responding to reforming systems and strengthening coordinated transformative efforts to address child abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation, sought to strengthen child protection systems and exhibit BOCAR’s goodwill and energy to strive for improvement of policies and programmes geared towards protection of children.

 

“To this end, we have provided unwavering support to various children including those in need of welfare, support special care such as HIV infected, those who dropped out of school and the disabled. We also provide psycho-social support to vulnerable children and their families as well as train parents and the community on child protection services.”

 

Welcoming guests, University of Botswana’s deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Oatlhokwa Nkomazana said she was inspired by BOFCAR, to see how people were taking initiative to make the world a better and safe place for children to grow in and become resilient, beautiful and responsible adults.

 

 “Remember a saying, ‘It takes the village to raise a child’, so we cannot ignore the issues simply because they are not happening to us, we must and should act accordingly to overcome issues of child abuse, neglect and exploitation. Abuse comes in many forms, so does exploitation, and through education, we must teach our young people, children and elders about abuse. They must understand how it occurs and its repercussions.”

 

Prof Nkomazana encouraged BOFCAR to continue doing the great work ‘it is doing’.

 

“It warms my heart to see our staff members engage with the community, share their expertise without expecting anything in return, this University strives on the spirit of giving, excellence and progress, so I commend you all,” she said. Outlining BOFCAR objectives, Ms Lesedi Mashumba said every child should be recognised, respected and protected as a rights holder, with non-negotiable rights to protection, noting ‘children are the future and all efforts must be made to ensure that their rights are preserved and protected.’

 

Ms Mashumba was of the view that children have the right to participate and exert influence in all areas that concern them, noting that as a Criminologist; she could not end her remark without placing emphasis on the use of sexual offenders’ registration and notification.

 

The Children’s Act makes provisions for all child convicted offenders to be registered into some kind of database before they get to prison, she highlighted.

 

She noted that communities and policies were often silent on how children were being ravaged by HIV as a result of the sexual abuse, adding that that perpetrators of heinous crimes against children were often given bails and some go back to intimidate their victims.

 

Ms Mashumba added that a national investigation into institutional sexual abuse in Botswana was long overdue.

 

“I would also like to call for civil non-governmental organizations to work together to strengthen national collaboration for the prevention of violence and abuse against children through improved networking, influencing policies and practices and advocacy. There is immense power when a group of entities with similar interests put together their expertise, experiences, knowledge and resources toward the same goal,” she said.  ENDS