Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

CommentGo Back

Download

Child Abuse Campaign Report Page 1

Child Abuse Prevention’s day

On November 16, SSF organized a World Child Abuse Prevention’s day at its compound with 45children (13 boys) who came from several public schools such as SokhaPhally high school, Tiruom Ket high school and Phnom Cheal high schoolparticipated. Those participants are all children benefited through SSFPrograms and their friends. Our beneficiary children were offered to invite theirfriends to participate the training as we would like to know how they buildrelationship with their classmates while they study at state schools. SSFintended to do so after receiving information from our children that childrenfrom poor families and remote rural areas are always isolated from theirclassmates when they came to study at higher level in the provincial town.With the result, some of our sponsored children have invited their classmatesfor whom that are friendly to them without discrimination between city andpeasant. One girl, Sokha, from extreme poor, domestic violence and fatherhas nerve and mental problems said that this is the first time I came in provincial town in my life.Everything is very different and strange to me made me afraid and horrify. I almost led myself to fail inmy exam to finish secondary school, even I always in my class I ranked at number two or four everymonth among my 60 classmates, she added.

Above picture was taken after finishing of our child abuse prevention’s day in front of our office.

Otherwise, training program was started from 7:30 AM and finished at 16:30PM with the purpose is to

“invite children and adult together participating in prevention of child abuse”

. Though thistraining was successful completed with focusing on the above topic but it was a little changed basingon the knowledge and experience of those participated children. SSF really surprised when weconducted a pre-test prior training program started and we found that 95% of participated childrendidn’t know or understand about the meaning of words and terms of Child, Child rights, ChildResponsibilities, domestic violence and abuse while other 5% are not sure or familiar with those wordsand their terms. Most participants could give us proper answer only physical violence or abuse suchas hit, beat and etc. when we asked them about domestic violence. They daily experience with theirparents or neighbor act that made them easily to see things happen in the aliveness of absolute poorliving with starvation, low education and etc.

Child Abuse Campaign Report Page 2

Participated children said this is the firsttime in their life that they had opportunityto attend such training. To make surethey aware about, all participants weredivided into three groups and a grouphad group members from ten to consideron those words, its terms definitions.Separating them into small groups andoffer them an opportunity tolearn/discuss together about theirperceptions regarding children, childrights, child responsibilities, domesticviolence and child abuse in Cambodiaspecially within their community recentlywas big deal as we can assist them learnto think.

Participated children discussed and determined definition and terms of Child Abuse

At the end of group discussion, Representative presented their group results to participants and everyparticipant was able to ask what they want to learn from the other group presentations and if theirrepresentative couldn’t answer the questions, we also advised them getting another group member toexpress their perception or assist in answering. Through their presentations and answer, we foundthat even forming them into group and discussion and because they didn’t experience in attendingworkshop or other trainings then they still learn how to prepare and do everything yet. They needed todo on and the results are at a basic answer that we had to begin training from the ground first.To build them strong enough capacity starting from how to attend especial training workshop, thoseparticipants received comprehensive explanation about how to conduct training workshop and what isthe role and responsibilities of participants within the training workshop processes. Other importantly,the terms and definition of child, Child rights, Child Responsibilities, domestic violence and abusewere trained on and explained carefully below:

1. Child:

is a young human being who is not yet an adult or any human has his or her age isunder than 18. A person who is strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular timeor person.

2. Child Rights :

Child Rights are fundamental freedoms and the inherent rights of all human beings below the age of 18. These rights apply to every child, irrespective of the child’s,parent’s/legal guardian’’ race, colour, sex, creed or other status.The essential message is equality of opportunity. Girls should be given the same opportunities as boys. All children should have the same rights and should be given the same opportunity to enjoy an adequate standard of living.

Why are child rights important?

Children are innocent, trusting and full of hope. Their childhood should be happy and loving. Their lives should mature gradually, as they gain new experiences. But for many children, the reality of childhood is altogether different. Cambodia rural areas have a much higher infant mortality rate than urban areas (92 against 65 deaths/1,000 live births/year).

Child Abuse Campaign Report Page 3

Right through history, children have been abused and exploited. They suffer from hunger and homelessness, work in harmful conditions, high infant mortality, deficient health care and limited opportunities for basic education. A child need not live such a life. Childhood can and must be preserved. Children have the right to survive, develop, be protected and participate in decisions that impact their lives.

What are the child rights?

At SSF, we focus on the four basic rights of children. On November 14, 1992 the kingdom of Cambodia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child with no reservations.The charter of Child Rights (CRC) is built on the principle that “All Children are born with fundamental freedoms and all human beings have some inherent rights”. The Charter confers the following basic rights on all children across the world:

•

The right to survival - to life, health, nutrition, name and nationality

•

The right to development – to education, care, leisure, recreation

•

The right to protection – from exploitation, abuse, neglect

•

The right to participation – to expression, information, thought and religion

3. Child Responsibilities:

Only SSF is an organization in Cambodia that aware about responsibilities of the child while mostagencies in the Cambodia speed up their works with training and advocating children about rightsof the child but at the same time they don’t mention about child and his or her responsibilities to hisor her family and parents, community, society and country and etc.Cambodian parents blamed the country when they couldn’t advise their children or when advisedthey don’t listen what their parents talked about and they feedback very fast with my rights I can doeverything as the laws allow even though they don’t know what the exact meaning of the laws are.Sometimes, their selected ways are very wrong because they don’t understand about theirresponsibilities while they serious received a little educating just about rights.Cambodian children violated their parents when they couldn’t give whatever they need and someof them are threaten to kill their parents/teachers and asked them don’t patience about their ownway. Teachers concern about and decided advice nothing to the children when they go to study atschool that very distance with a Cambodian meaningful proverb said that teacher is second motherthat can care to those children on behalf of their parents when they go to school.Above mentions are the core parts of SSF works as we would like to find another best way to talkand advise all beneficiary children to balance between rights and responsibilities. To make surethey can balance, during the world day for prevention of child abuse, 45 participated children wereallowed them working as group to discuss about rights and their responsibilities. Now, we observethat our children are very different from outside children as they are aware about their rights andresponsibilities. They listen to their teachers when they go to school even though their classmatesbother them and their teachers in working hours. They come to consult with SSF colleague aboutwhat they face when they are in school and etc. SSF is really enjoyed with the output wegenerated and we will input more ideas and concepts about rights and responsibilities to ourbeneficiary children and SSF will use those children as key agent to advocate their classmates.

4. Domestic Violence:

Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual,and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use againsttheir intimate partners. Domestic violence is a serious crime which often results in serious injury