CBM hosts Western Area Child Protection Committee Meeting

The Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Pikin Dem (Street Kids) on Tuesday 8^th February 2014 hosted the monthly Western Area Child Protection meeting at its 9 Old Signal Hill Road, Congo Cross Office in Freetown. The Western Area Child Protection Committee is a consortium of Non Governmental Organizations and Community Based Organizations that are implementing child protection programmes in the Western Area under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs. The Committee’s monthly meeting is aimed at giving an opportunity to partners to share their experiences, resources and expertise and map out possible solutions to most of the challenges affecting street kids.

The meeting was held at a time when about the Christadelphian Bible Mission is having twenty-three of it members from the United Kingdom who are in the country not only to share the Word of God, but to also see how far most of their sponsored projects have gone and how they can continue in meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone.

The Christadelphian Meal-A-Day has been very much instrumental in sponsoring several projects in Sierra Leone, including the Street Kids Project, Adult Literacy at Kroo Bay, installation of taps at Kroo Bay and several projects in the provinces. Led by Bob Fox the Link man for Sierra Leone, the team from the UK has so far installed some recreational facilities for the Street Kids Project, which currently has 20 children (12 boys and 8 girls). The project which was established in 2011 and started operations in 2012 is headed by a committed, dedicated woman of substance, Mrs. Nancy M. King who heartily welcomed members of various Child Protection Organizations and other line authorities.

“Child Protection is not a one man’s business. It requires a collective responsibility,” says Francis M. Lahai of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs who chaired the meeting.

One of the key issues discussed was concerns on girls and women that are sexually abused that are to benefit from the Free Healthcare programme. It can be r3ecalled during an official launch of a document at the Miatta Conference Hall recently, the Vice President, Alhaji Abubakarr Sam Suma promised that modalities have been put in place to bring in those sexually abused under the Free Healthcare Programme. Another issue that came up is the fact that children in some chil;d protection organizations are not well catered for due to lack of funding and other supports to upkeep them.

A representative from the Sierra Leone Police told the meeting that they are currently embarking on sensitization how to protect street children so as to enable them contribute to national development.

A representative from Christian Brothers said they are working with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation on birth registration in peripheral health units in Moyamba and Pujehun Districts. He said they are creating awareness on the need to take birth certificates for children under five; and also they are currently implementing a project that supports rape victims in Pujehun.

Abu Bakarr Kargbo

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