The SOS Children Village’s Program Coordinator, Hakim Bbosa, has urged the government to increase funding to the Child Protection Department of Youth and Children Affairs on account of the failure of the majority of district probation and social welfare officers in doing their work to protect the vulnerable.
He remarked during the media training which aimed at enhancing skills in reporting on gender equality, child protection, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities at SOS Children’s Village in Entebbe.
“In most cases, community structures and government departments that are responsible lack facilitation, which affects the response rate and our ability to intervene, which would be better if the government increases the budgetary allocation,” he said.
In addition, Bbosa also acknowledged the powers of media in raising awareness of child abuse and gender equality.
“The media are part of the wider stakeholders that can contribute towards advocating for children’s rights and their well-being to ensure that they have equal opportunity, to access social protection, family and partake in community level participation in decision making,” the SOS Children Village’s Program Coordinator noted.
During the same engagement, Akello Beatrice, the National Advocacy and Gender Equality Coordinator at SOS Homes, also emphasized the need for awareness in the communities, saying, “Our focus is amplifying the voice of the girl child and advancing their dreams. At the age of 16, most rural communities envision the girl to be ready for marriage which is wrong. Therefore, our policymakers should integrate supporting the survivors of Gender Based violence and, most of al,l, the strategy to end teenage pregnancies.”
In addition, she explained that the organization gives a voice to children and young people, helping them to engage directly with governments and international organizations, and advocate side by side with them to advance children’s rights, doing it all over the world with the help of many committed and passionate partners, donors, sponsors, and friends.
“We specialize in caring for children and strengthening families as well as working with community partners to ensure that children have access to all the things they need to grow, including health care and education,” Akello remarked.
SOS Children’s Villages has been supporting children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it in Uganda since 1988 in five different village homes, including Entebbe, Gulu, Kakiri, Mayuge, and Fort Portal.
Currently, SOS Children’s Villages is implementing numerous climate-smart initiatives highlighted by the Sustainable Climate Resilient Communities (SURE) Project in Kamwenge and Kabarole districts in a bid to combat the climate change crisis.
The two-year initiative supports communities in making awareness, community nursery beds, and recently identified Eco-Champions, youth advocates for climate change who will participate in the United Nations Climate Change Summit, Conference of the Parties (COP29).
About The Author
