By KT Reporter
Police officers in Kiira Region have launched a sensitisation drive about the dangers of sexual and gender based violence-SGBV in schools. The move is geared towards ending SGBV-related crimes against school-going children.
The move has been welcomed by teachers who say that these engagements have partly bridged the communication gaps left behind by parents.
Aisha Namuddu, a teacher at Namavundu Primary School, says that some young girls experience sexually related violence from largely powerful people, and they are silenced. Namuddu says that due to the nature of work of their work, parents lack the opportunity to speak to their children about sexually related violence.
Namuddu says that the police officers have equipped learners with tips to sense and immediately report SGBV cases at inception.
Elsie Ndikimwiza, another teacher at Destiny Primary School, says that some sexual crimes are triggered by the unregulated digital spaces, exposing children to pornography content at an early age.
Ndikimwiza notes that, save for the physical interaction with children, supervising their access to social media and other internet tools is highly commendable, if all learners are to be holistically safeguarded from sexual violence.
Sharifa Naisanga, a teacher at St. Peter’s Secondary School, says that SGBV is silently affecting some learners’ psychological well-being, which affects their academic performance. Naisanga says that, despite some of these learners being in secondary school, their minds are fully developed to manage excessive pressures resulting from SGBV.
Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson, James Mubi, says that the campaign has created an opportunity for learners to share their experiences about SGBV and how it has affected them.
Meanwhile, Mubi says that they have arrested a 45-year-old teacher for allegedly defiling her pupil in a classroom. Mubi says that the eight-year-old victim narrated to the police how Abubaker Ngobi, aged 45 years, a theology teacher, defiled and threatened her from reporting the matter.
Mubi says that Ngobi is detained at Nalufenya police station and has commenced investigations-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
