Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action by World Education

Acknowledgments

The Bantwana Initiative would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the following partners in the development of this booklet: ■■

Kabarole, Kyenjojo, and Kasese Probation Officers, District Education Officers, Police Family Protection Officers, and other local government staff who have supported our efforts

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Bringing Hope to the Family

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Toil and Promote Agriculture (TAPA)

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Rural Welfare Initiative for Development (RWIDE)

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Kyembogo Farmers’ Association (KYEFA)

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Ngombe Community Health Project

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Kaguma Broad Based Integrated Child Care Program (KABBICCA)

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Karambi Alliance for Community Development of Orphans and Widows (KACDOW)

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Rwenzori Development and Research Center (REDROC)

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Young and Powerful Initiative (YAPI)

And most importantly, we thank all the children from child rights clubs who contributed their ideas and stories. All drawings in this booklet are by children participating in child rights clubs. All photographs are by Robin Hammond.

The B antwana I nitiative © 2012 Do not reproduce, copy, translate, or distribute this book, in whole or in part, without obtaining prior written permission from the Bantwana Initiative. BANTWANA@WORLDED.ORG • WWW.BANTWANA.ORG

Introduction Child Rights

his booklet follows Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Child Rights and Protection Resource (WEI/Bantwana and FXB, 2010). The first booklet introduced you to your rights and responsibilities—and helped you identify some helpful child protection resources in your community.

This booklet revisits seven major child rights abuses and violations discussed in the first booklet: ■■ Child

Labour

■■ Child

Neglect

■■ Defilement ■■ Domestic Violence

This booklet will help you think about who is vulnerable and at risk, and how to RESPOND to child rights violations and abuse. It can guide you and other children in your community to uphold each others’ rights and responsibilities by taking ACTION and continue to RAISE AWARENESS on child protection and child rights. This book can also be used by school or community child rights club mentors, caregivers, districts and police, or organizations working to strengthen child protection services.

■■ Drug

and Alcohol Use

■■ Early

Marriage

■■ Denying

Education

And explores an important eighth theme: ■■ Discrimination

Children from in- and out-of-school child rights clubs, and district officials, community-based organizations, and WEI/Bantwana have worked together to create this resource. In this booklet, child rights club members have shared their perspectives through stories, poems, and drawings.

In response to those of you who requested more resources for your child rights clubs, Section 3 of this booklet, How to Form and Run a Child Rights Club, provides practical guidance for youth who want to set up their own child rights clubs in schools or communities or for those who want to bring fresh ideas and activities to existing clubs. You have the power to help protect your rights and responsibilities—and to uphold the rights of others! This booklet is a place for you to start; you and your friends, family, and community can find many other ways to work together to take action and respond to abuse.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Some Ways You Can Use this Booklet

■■

Take action by reporting child abuse and rights violations!

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Be a leader in your community. Demonstrate understanding of both your rights and your responsibilities

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Read the booklet and discuss the issues with your friends and family members

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Join or form a child rights club

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Invite family, friends, teachers, community members, and others to discuss these issues

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Find ways to integrate child rights messages into community and school events

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Be inspired to express your views and experiences through discussion, poems, artwork, or music

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Identify and share information about child protection resources available in your community

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Protect yourself by reducing risk and reporting violations of your rights!

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Table of Contents

SECTION 1: Protecting Your Rights and the Rights of Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 a) What are your rights? What are your responsibilities?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 b) What does it mean to respond to child rights abuses? What approaches can you take?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 c) What skills do you need to respond to abuse?....................................................................................................... 11 d) What is vulnerability? What is risk? What can be done to reduce them?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 SECTION 2: Action and Response to Child Rights Abuses.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Exploring how you can help protect yourself and others by taking action and responding to: 1. Child Labour.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2. Child Neglect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3. Defilement.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 4. Domestic Violence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 5. Drug and Alcohol Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 6. Early Marriage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 7. Denying Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 8. Discrimination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 SECTION 3: How to Form and Run a Child Rights Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 a) How can you form a CRC?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 b) Other suggested activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 c) How can you sustain your CRC?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Protecting Your Rights and the Rights of Others

here are many things you can do to help protect your rights and the rights of others!

You can’t protect child rights by yourself, but you are not alone in this effort. You are part of a growing network of child protection actors in Uganda including the government, NGOs and community stakeholders, teachers, family members, and friends.

Your rights and responsibilities Child protection is keeping children (anyone under 18 years of age) safe from violence, abuse, neglect, or exploitation; it means upholding children’s rights. You are born with certain rights that no one can ever take away from you—things every child should have or be able to do—which allow you to be cared for and kept safe so you can be the most productive person you can be. These rights are connected and each is as important as the next. Children need adults to help protect their rights. There are many laws and treaties that protect children, but one of the most important is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) written by the United Nations. The Government of Uganda and almost every other country has accepted the responsibility to uphold all the rights in the

CRC. The Government of Uganda is also committed to protecting child rights through the Uganda Constitution and the Children Act. Child rights also come with responsibilities. For example, the right to education comes with the responsibility to go to school, study, and try your best. The right to express your beliefs and thoughts comes with the responsibility to respect the beliefs and thoughts of others, and to show respect to others, especially to your parents, family members, and teachers. REMEMBER! ■■ Every

child has rights!

■■ Child

abuse is a child rights violation

■■ Child

abuse occurs when someone is physically, emotionally, or sexually mistreated

■■ Children

and adults should learn about the different types of abuse and signs of abuse

■■ Children

can help protect themselves from certain child rights abuses by avoiding dangerous situations and behaviours

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

S E C T I O N 1 : PROT E C T I N G YOU R R I G H T S A ND T H E R IGH T S O F OT H ER S

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Knowledge about Child Rights is Important to Me The knowledge of a child rights has helped me to improve on my ability to speak in public through attending seminars and workshops. It helped me to return back to school because I knew that education is one of the child rights. Through child rights clubs I improved on my talents through debating, music, dance and drama, netball, volleyball etc which helps me to get some money for school fees and other school requirements through drama shows. It gave

me knowledge about the dangers of early marriage, now I am confident and I will study up to the university. Now I am aware how to avoid rape and defilement through guidances by child rights clubs (by not moving alone at night, refusing gifts from strangers, refusing lifts etc.). It gave me a knowledge of respecting my elders and parents by helping them both at home and at school. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;KABBICCA

ACT I V I T Y Refresh your memory about rights and responsibilities As a group, discuss some of the rights a child has in the home, school, and community (for example, the right to food, or not to be beaten). Make a list of rights, then think of responsibilities to go with each right (for example, children have a responsibility to help prepare dinner if asked, or to be respectful of parents).

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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Some internationally recognized child rights: adapted from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) ■■

All children have the right to life and healthy development.

■■

All children have the right to a legally registered name and nationality.

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Decisions made by parents, lawmakers, and communities must always take into account the best interests of the child when the child may be affected by the decision.

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All children have the right to be protected from all forms of discrimination and unfair treatment or punishment no matter the child’s race, religion, family status, culture, or whether the child is a girl or boy or has a disability of any kind.

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Children have the right to participate when adults are making decisions that affect them.

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Children have the right to express their beliefs and thoughts.

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Children have a right to privacy.

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Children have the right to good quality health care, clean water, nutritious food, and a clean environment.

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All children and young people have a right to a primary education.

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All children have a right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of activities.

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Children have the right to be protected from social and customary practices that are harmful to the child’s health, such as female genital mutilation, early marriage, etc.

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Children have the right to live with their parents and families.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

S E C T I O N 1 : PROT E C T I N G YOU R R I G H T S A ND T H E R IGH T S O F OT H ER S

Approaches to Taking Action

REMEMBER!

This section provides you with some tools, or approaches, to help you respond to cases of abuse. It also introduces you to some of the skills you will need to be a strong child protection leader.

As you learned in the previous booklet, if you or someone you know is abused, it is important to remind victims of abuse that:

There are some overall approaches you can take to responding to any rights abuses, whether you are helping to protect yourself, or responding to a rights abuse of someone you know.

■■ there

is help available; and

■■ what

happened to them is not their fault!

Act! The most important thing is to take immediate action against child rights abuses. Don’t wait! You can’t handle abuse on your own, but you can use your knowledge, skills, and networks to act in the most helpful way. Advocate: When you see situations in your community or school that violate the rights of children, use your knowledge, skills, and experience to help convince people who can make decisions to change those situations for the wellbeing of children. Alert: Be aware of signs of child abuse. When you see or experience abuse, alert a trusted adult/official right away. Also, to help protect yourself and others, it’s important to remain on alert and to be aware of your surroundings and potential dangers at all times. Ask questions: If you suspect your friend or peer is a victim of abuse, ask questions to find out what the real situation might be, and how you can help. If you don’t know what to do in a certain situation, go to a trusted adult, like a teacher or Headmaster, to find out the best way to respond. Assist or support: Victims of abuse often suffer from fear of stigma or guilt, even though they are never to blame for the crime done to them. Be a kind, caring, trustworthy and supportive friend. Through assisting someone in need, you will strengthen your friendship and live up to your responsibilities as a leader.

■■ they

are not alone;

Do no harm: Keep in mind the best interests of the child, and make sure NO further harm is done in supporting the child through response to the abuse. In any case of child abuse or child rights violation, consider carefully: ■■

Is the child’s life in immediate danger? Does the abuse need to be reported immediately to prevent further danger, or is there time to respond? What actions can quickly be taken to reduce risk to the child?

■■

Will reporting this abuse put the child at further risk of harm? If so, what can be done to reduce the risk of harm to the child?

■■

How can parents OR other trusted adults be immediately involved?

■■

What legal or community level steps can be taken to improve the environment for the child in the long term?

Educate: Education is one of the best tools you can use to prevent abuse. Share information about child rights with your friends, family, teachers and community members. Follow through: Many children who are abused feel very vulnerable and fearful. If you say you are going to tell a trusted adult and seek help, follow through with your promise and do the best you can so the victim can trust you as a friend.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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Follow up: Once you tell a trusted adult/official, it is good practice to continue to follow up to make sure action is being taken. Follow up with a friend who has been victimized; even if a perpetrator has been brought to justice, a child may feel scared or guilty or sad for a long time and may need your support, friendship, and referrals.

I N O U R O W N W O R DS Right, Right, Rights Every child has a right. A right to eat A right to play A right to learn A right to pray A right to every and every thing Which is good

Maintain confidentiality: Share information ONLY with people who can help and who have the authority to act in response to child rights abuses and violations. Keep this trust. Child abuse victims have the right to have their privacy respected. Breaking confidentiality may also put the victim or the person reporting at risk and may harm the victim further or ruin the chance of prosecuting the perpetrator. When possible, ask permission— or consent—from the child and parents before sharing information with anyone else. Informed consent means that the person saying ‘yes, you can share the information’ truly understands the possible outcome of sharing that information. Children should be involved in decisions affecting them.

Which is good. —TAPA

Prevent: Work with your friends, family, and community to come up with ways to help prevent abuse. Some of these ways to avoid risk and reduce vulnerability can be found in this book. Refer: In addition to reporting a rights abuse to a trusted adult who can respond to the information, there are other people and groups to whom you can refer a victim for extra support, including medical and legal resources, psychosocial counseling, substance abuse reduction, and kids’ club programs. Report: In order for an abused child to get help, the violation or abuse should be reported to a

Responsibilities Every child has responsibilities. A responsibility to fetch water A responsibility to cook food A responsibility to collect firewood A responsibility to every and every thing

trusted adult who can respond to the information shared, such as: ■■

A parent

■■

A teacher

■■

A Headmaster/Headmistress

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An adult neighbor

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A community leader (e.g LC 1 and 2, Community Development Officers)

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Religious leaders

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A CBO representative

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Police – Child and Family Protection Unit

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District Probation Officers

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Legal Aid and other paralegals

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Uganda Human Rights Commission

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

S E C T I O N 1 : PROT E C T I N G YOU R R I G H T S A ND T H E R IGH T S O F OT H ER S

AC T I V I T Y Reporting Abuse to a Trusted Adult As you have learned, when you suffer from child abuse or know someone who has been abused, the most important step is to talk to an adult you can trust and who can help the situation. Below, make a list of people you can talk to about cases of abuse. Try to have at least one name for each category: A friend:_________________________________________________________________________ A parent/ caregiver:________________________________________________________________ A teacher:_______________________________________________________________________ An adult neighbor:_________________________________________________________________ A community leader or CBO representative:____________________________________________ A religious leader:_________________________________________________________________ Police:___________________________________________________________________________ Keep this list somewhere, so if you or someone you know is abused, you remember who to talk to as soon as possible!

If you are not sure how to report or need assistance in responding to a child abuse, you can call the Child Helpline. The number to call is 0800111222 or 0800111333. Soon these numbers will change and you will only need to dial 116. An experienced counselor will listen to you on the phone and guide you on what steps you should take in reporting child abuse. The call is free.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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Skills

Important: ■■

Report directly to police any case of defilement, murder, robbery, rape, physical abuse, or other major crimes. Request the assistance of a trusted adult or local leader.

■■

Non criminal cases, such as neglect, small family problems, lost and found children, should be referred to the LC 1 secretary of children who will handle them or forward them when necessary.

■■

When children are in conflict with the law, it is best to report to the Police – Child and Family Protection Unit. These officers have been specially trained to handle cases while protecting children’s rights.

Now that you know some of the approaches you can take to respond to abuse, you need certain skills to do this. This book will help you build these skills with exercises and activities that you can do with your club. The skills you need include: Critical Thinking: Critical thinking means having the ability to evaluate a situation well. It is important to have these skills to: understand a situation and its problems, risks, and challenges; analyze possible options for response; and decide on actions you will take. With this booklet as a guide, you will build your critical thinking skills through discussions, reflection on real stories and poems, and activities you can do yourself. To respond appropriately to child abuse and to help prevent rights violations, you need to be able to think critically about the situation and the best way forward. Communication: Good communication skills are essential for any child rights advocate. You need to be able to communicate with your friends, classmates, caregivers, teachers, community members, district officials and many more people in a variety of ways. There are different forms of communication, including face-to-face discussion, oral presentations, newsletters, drama, and music. You can build these skills through role plays, creative writing, and actual presentations. Knowing your audience and adjusting the message is the key to success!

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

S E C T I O N 1 : PROT E C T I N G YOU R R I G H T S A ND T H E R IGH T S O F OT H ER S

Providing Support: When you address issues of abuse, you may interact with children who have suffered through very difficult experiences. Providing support is something that requires practice. You will build these skills through role plays, personal reflection, and discussing case studies. Organization: Many of the actions you will take as a child rights advocate require planning and organizing. You need to be able to organize events at your school and in the community. You may organize activities for your club, and even your regular meetings require some planning ahead. You can practice these skills through case studies and actual activities. The best way to improve your planning skills is by actually planning and carrying out a variety of activities and learning from your successes and mistakes over time.

Vulnerability and Risk Vulnerability is being exposed to danger or harm. All children are vulnerable in some way and need to be protected by adults, but certain life circumstances make some children more vulnerable to abuse. Children who are more vulnerable include: ■■

children in domestic work

■■

orphans

■■

children with disabilities

■■

child heads of households

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children living with step-parents or away from home.

The network of child protection stakeholders is responsible for continually working at reducing child vulnerability to abuse. Some examples of how they are working to reduce child vulnerability include: government policy designed to protect children (e.g. The Children’s Act) and to improve education; NGO programs to improve household economic status; CBOs building youth child protection leader clubs and networks; and efforts by LG and police to bring perpetrators to justice. Risks are things that can increase danger or harm. Certain actions or situations put children at greater risk of abuse. Sometimes children can reduce risk by being aware of potentially dangerous situations, and by making smart decisions. For example, taking money from an older person who may expect sexual favors in return (sugar mamas and sugar daddies) can lead to abuse and defilement.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Pamela lived with her grandmother at Kagero Village. One day her grandmother went to the market to sell mangoes. Pamela remained home lonely without any food to eat. Pamela felt very hungry and she did not know where the market was. Pamela decided to follow the direction which her grandmother had taken. When she was going, she met her friends Paul, Sarah and James. While playing, Pamela saw her grandmother coming from the corner. She hurriedly went to her. It was about 7:30pm. In the happiness of the money, her grandmother had forgotten to buy paraffin. The town was

far away from them, but her grandmother sent her to go and buy paraffin alone. She moved lonely and reached the way where she found some thugs. The thugs caught her but good enough the bodaboda man was coming towards them and flashed them. The thugs ran away. The bodaboda man came towards the girl and picked her. The man took her to the grandmother’s home. He told the grandmother all that had happened. The grandmother thanked him very much for saving her granddaughter’s life. So I am advising the parents not to be sending children to go places alone at night. —KACDOW

ACT I V I T Y Critical Thinking 1._ What behaviors increased Pamela’s RISK of abuse in the story? 2._ Was anyone else at risk in this story? 3._ Have you or your friends experienced similar situations? 4._ How can similar risky behaviours be avoided?

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Action and Response to Child Rights Abuses

Under each theme within Section II, you will find discussion of things that make children more vulnerable to abuse. You will also learn ways you can help reduce risk as a way to take action.

ll children need to be protected by adults. When children are not protected, they are at risk of abuse and rights violations. Abuse can be neglect, mistreatment, or any physical, emotional/psychological, or sexual violation of children. Eight child abuse and protection issues are discussed in this booklet, namely: 1. Child labour

2. Child neglect 3. Defilement 4. Domestic violence 5. Drug and alcohol abuse 6. Early marriage, and 7. Denying education 8. Discrimination As a child protection leader, work together with your friends and others involved in improving child protection to add your own ideas and ways to take action and respond to the ones you find below.

1. CHILD LABOUR REMEMBER! What is Child Labour? Child labour is the employment of a child below 18 years in dangerous work, or beyond his or her abilities, or for too many hours per week. Child labour also means that children are not going to school or do not have time to study. Children who do not go to school miss the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to gain more productive jobs when they are adults. Some labour can put children at risk of serious injury, illness, or even death. Not all work that children do is child labour. Children need to take on responsibilities in their households, but when these responsibilities are so great that children are not able to go to school or are put at a health risk, then this work becomes a rights violation.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

S E C T I O N 2 : AC T I ON AN D R E S P ON S E TO CH ILD R IGH T S A BUSES

In Uganda, it is common practice for children to do some work. However, Uganda’s laws1 state what type of work is appropriate for different ages and what type of work is dangerous or excessive (i.e. too much). Dangerous and excessive work is not legal for children. Dangerous work can damage a child’s physical or psychological growth, and too much work can prevent a child from attending school or concentrating on his or her studies. Under these laws: CHILDREN’S AGES

WORK PERMITTED

Under the age of 12

Not to be employed in any business.

12-13 years old

Can perform light work under the supervision of an adult who is 18 years or older.

14-17 year old

Permitted to do regular work, which includes safe industries and limited hours. 2

Children under the age of 18 years should never engage in work where they: ■■

Are exposed to dangerous machinery, equipment and tools;

■■

Carry heavy loads beyond their capacity;

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Are exposed to unhealthy environments that expose them to hazardous substances, infectious diseases, excessive noise, temperature, or vibrations;

■■

Are exposed to harassment or physical/ psychological/sexual abuse;

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Operate underground, in water, or at heights;

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Are kept in a place and not allowed by employers to leave; or

■■

Labour under difficult conditions such as long work hours.3

Why do you think these laws are in place? What types of work fit the descriptions above?

Vulnerability and Risk Children throughout Uganda, especially in rural areas, are vulnerable to child labour. Poverty can prevent children from going to school and thus, some families send children to work to help the family earn money. Children in child-headed homes and other OVC are extremely vulnerable in engaging in child labour. Sometimes, children take risks and work by choice because they want to earn money for themselves or their families for survival. Sometimes children are offered jobs far away from their families, but sometimes these are schemes to lead children into sexual exploitation, slavery, or armed violence. In some forms of work, such as mining, tobacco, tea farming, and fishing, children work with dangerous equipment and chemicals. Dangerous work can cause accidents and prevent children’s healthy growth and development.

1. Government of Uganda, The Employment Act, 2006, (2006), Part 4, Section 32. 2. Understanding Children’s Work (UCW) Programme, “Understanding Children’s Work in Uganda: Report on child labour,” (August 2008), 24. 3. Ibid, 47.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

SE C T I O N 2: ACT IO N A ND R ESP O NSE TO CH ILD R IGH T S A BU S ES

Respond to Child Labour!

Help Protect Yourself

■■

All children have a responsibility to help with chores in the house, but children also need to attend school and prepare assignments.

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If your family needs you to do some work for money, think together about options that are safe and will also allow you to stay in school and study well. If you are not sure how to discuss this with your family, ask a trusted adult to help you.

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If you are in school, keep going and complete school. All the knowledge and skills you are developing in school will help you gain a more productive job as an adult, and will help you recognize what work is hazardous or risky and why. Also, being in school will protect you from child labour. Study hard and behave well so that your parents or caregivers feel your time at school is productive.

If someone whom you don’t know offers you a job far away, talk to your caregivers about the best way to respectfully say ‘NO’. Stay close to your family until you are at least 18 years old and better able to protect yourself.

How to Respond ■■

Talk to your parents, caregivers, or other adult family members if work is preventing you from going to or excelling in school.

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Talk to a teacher, your Headmaster/mistress or another trusted adult community member. Let them know if you are having difficulty staying in school because your family needs you to work. Tell them if you know other children who are engaged in dangerous work.

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Critical Thinking About Child Labour Not all work is child labour, but how can we tell the difference? How should we respond in different situations? Read the stories and then discuss the questions below. Questions about the stories: • In these stories, what type of work is ok for a child to do and what is excessive or dangerous? • Before the CRC members speak to their friend’s family, how do you think they can prepare? What should they discuss in their meeting? Why would it be important for the CRC to show respect to the family, even if they disagree on an issue? Other questions for discussion: • What responsibilities do you have at home? • At your age, what jobs are appropriate for you to do? What jobs should you avoid? • If you found out that one of your friends could not pay his school fees and was going to work instead, what would you do? • If your CRC found out about a case of excessive work that was causing a classmate to be absent from school and unable to prepare assignments, what would you do? • If you found out that your neighbor, who is 13 years old, left school and went to work in a quarry, what would you do?

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Child Labour is Bad!! In our community, there’s a boy called Dan, he was my friend. This friend of mine was in Primary Seven. His mother divorced two years back and the father married another wife. The wife told the husband that the boy must look for the school fees alone. The father agreed and he told the boy that he must fetch ten jerry cans of water first for the family and then after that he should go and look for jobs in the community. The boy suffered a lot and sometimes he didn’t go to school because of much jobs. Dan the

friend of mine told me how he was suffering and I shed tears. I told him that we are going to come to your home as child rights club and talk to your father and stepmother. We went there as a club, we talked to them and what made our work easy, these parents had ever heard of our work as a club, the feared of what will happen when they continue with their things. The boy is now in a secondary school and he is appreciating the role we played. —Kibuye CRC (TAPA)

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Child work…and responsibility In my family my Daddy and Mummy produced four children. In those children two are boys and two are girls. Every child in the family has his or her work. During school time all of us we go to school for studies and try our best. Then after school everyone have his or her work. Boys graze cows, collect firewood, while girls cook food, wash plates and help out mother on other house works. But in our works our parents don’t force us to do difficult works. We have rights to participate with parents when they are

making decisions that affect us. So this has helped me to grow knowing the works that children are supposed to do at home and to grow as a hardworking child. We know that children must not be given difficult works and they should taken to school for studies because educated children help many people. In a community when a child becomes a teacher or a doctor that child will not care his own family—but he/she is there for the whole nation. I love my club. —Bukika CRC (KABBICCA)

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Communication About Child Labour Talking to adults can be difficult, especially when you need to talk about sensitive issues such as child labour. To practice this skill, divide into pairs and role play. One person should be a child that is having a problem with child labour, and one person should be a caregiver. Role play a conversation where the child expresses that child labour is stopping him or her from going to school and he/she would like this to change. Make sure that after a few minutes you switch roles so that both people get to experience being the child and the adult. After the role plays are done bring everyone together to discuss: • What was difficult about talking about child labour? For the caregiver? For the child? • What makes it easier for the conversation to go well? • What are some ways to show respect to an adult, even if he or she does not agree with your perspectives? • What can be done if one person gets angry? Together make a list of useful tips for talking to an adult about child labour, or other sensitive issues. Compare your list to the one on the right and make a complete list for your club members.

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Practice not blaming!

Tips for talking to an adult about child labour (or other sensitive issues): ■■

Always be respectful in your words and gestures

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Find a good time that you are both relaxed and in a comfortable, private place

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Do not blame or make accusations; focus instead on understanding the problem

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Use “I” statements, to explain your feelings and concerns (see Communication Skills: Making “I” Statements)

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Look for compromises and solutions, focus on a way forward that is realistic

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Make sure you listen to the other person and try to understand his/her point of view

Read the following “You” statements, which place blame. Then read how each sentence has been turned into an “I” statement, which focuses on the problem and on finding solutions. 1. “You” statement: You pay for my other brothers and sisters to go to school because you love them more. I have to work in the garden to get money for their fees.

“I” statement: I understand that it is difficult to get money for everyone’s fees and that my work helps to send my brothers and sisters to school, but I also want to go to school. Can we think of a way that I can help the family, but also go to school?

2. “You” statement: You give me so much work when I come home from school that I have no time to do my school work and I perform badly.

Communication Skills: Making “I” Statements

When talking to caregivers about your needs, it is best to use “I” statements and avoid making “You” statements. Examples of “You” statements are, “You do not give me enough food. You do not provide clothes for me. You do not show me you care about me.” When you use “You” statements, the person listening feels you are blaming or attacking them and may get angry or defensive.

3.“You” statement: Because I performed badly last term, you don’t care about my education and want me to work instead.

To avoid “You” statements, try using “I” statements. An “I” statement begins with a description of the situation and how you feel about it. You can then add a proposed solution. For example, “I feel sad when I have to work and not go to school. I would be happy if I could go to school and then work on the farm once I get home.”

“I” statement: We receive a lot of homework from school and sometimes I cannot do it because of all the chores I have at home. I want to help at home but also need time for my studies.

“I” statement: I am also disappointed that I performed badly last term. I promise to try harder, but please stay committed to my education and keep me in school.

AC T I V I T Y Skills Practice: Communication Skills These are only examples for practice. Try to use your own words to come up with different “I” statements. Stay focused on identifying the problem and finding solutions.

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4. “You” statement: You make me miss class because you make me look after my young siblings and take food stuff to the market.

“I” statement: I know it’s good for me to look after my young sibling, and to help on market days, but I feel better doing it when it is not a school day so I can avoid missing classes.

ACT I V I T Y Personal Reflection: Think about your own life. Think about the work you do at home or in the community. How does this work help your family? How does this work affect your education? Are you able to keep a good balance between your work and education? If not, what are some things you can do to reach this balance? Write down your thoughts on a piece of paper and if you feel comfortable, share with club members to think about ways forward together.

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Reporting Child Labour A circumstance not also to forget is when the police learnt about a group of parents who were involved in children rights violation through taking them to tea shambas to work which was child labour–

a thing against children rights. The police went and arrested the parents of the children and were charged cases of children rights violation. —BHTF

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Who cares? I am a child A young creature Who needs care And protection. My life depends On your concern And care for me Without you, I am Useless. Be mindful, careful And take concern To ensure I survive God is to reward you. —KACDOW

REMEMBER! If you or a child you know is being subjected to dangerous, too much, or otherwise inappropriate labour, you can always contact a CBO or trusted adult.

2. NEGLECT REMEMBER! Child neglect is when parents/guardians have the means but still fail to protect children or to provide for their emotional, physical, or educational needs—including shelter, safety, medical care, and nutrition. Some examples of emotional, physical, and educational neglect include: Emotional neglect: verbally abusing the child and withholding affection; not caring about the future of a child, shown as not providing any guidance or positive discipline; or exposing the child to dangerous influences/not protecting the child from them. Physical neglect: withholding urgent medical care, shelter, or food when it is available; never bathing the child; disallowing a child to return home for shelter; or inadequately supervising the child, putting her/his safety at risk. Educational neglect: keeping a child home from school, not paying school fees when funds are available, not tending to a child’s special needs, and allowing frequent absences from school. Child neglect is a serious problem that can lead to a lifetime of problems for the child, including disability, low-self-esteem, illness, and even death.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Child neglect has serious consequences I am a medical worker working with Hope Again Medical Centre in Kaihura Kyenjojo district. A child was staying with the stepmother in Kaihura trading centre. The child was 12 years old and she used to beat this young girl often and sometimes deny the kid food for minor issues. One day I was at the clinic and some community woman brought that girl to the clinic saying that the girl had crushed battery cells from the radio and eat them trying

to kill herself because of beating her every time by her stepmother. We treated the kid and admitted her for two days while trying to find out with the family of the kid. Then after the kid had become fine following successful treatment she refused to go back home and the office of Child Welfare Department took all legal procedures and adopted the kid at home again (orphanage home) at Kaihura under Bringing Hope to the Family. —BHTF

Vulnerability and Risk

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lacks adult supervision

There are a number of factors that increase children’s vulnerability to neglect by parents and caregivers, including when they live amidst poverty, orphanhood, domestic violence, polygamy, extra marital affairs, and drug and alcohol abuse. There are also risky behaviours that increase the likelihood of neglect, such as disobeying parents/caregivers and being disrespectful. These behaviours NEVER justify neglect, but they do increase the child’s risk of neglect.

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lacks clothing appropriate for the weather

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uses alcohol or drugs

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reports family violence at home

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reports abuse of alcohol or drugs by parents or caregivers

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states there is no one at home to provide care

Some signs of child neglect include: ■■

when a child begs or steals food or money

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lacks medical care or proper hygiene

In cases of neglect, a parent/caregiver may seem: ■■

indifferent or apathetic toward the child

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be involved in an abusive domestic relationship

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behave irrationally

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abuse alcohol or illegal drugs4

4. North Carolina Division of Social Services, “About Child Abuse and Child Neglect,” updated October 2012, http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/cps/about.htm.

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Respond to Neglect!

Protect yourself ■■

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Express your needs to your caregiver in a respectful way (using “I” statements) Try to help in the home when you can. Remember your caregiver might also be feeling stressed trying to take care of everyone and your help can go a long way. Do not assume your caregiver knows how you feel. If you need help, ask for it, especially if you are sick or do not have the basic means to stay healthy.

munity (see more in the discrimination section on page 52) ■■

Report neglect to a trusted adult. Many neglect issues can be solved when community leaders discuss issues with the person who is being neglectful.

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Through income generation activities and savings group with your CRC, help friends who struggle with their basic needs.

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Promote community projects that help make sure that all children are well cared for, such as volunteerism to improve broken shelters or sharing food with poor households.

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If there are children you know that are neglected, discuss as a club how you can help. Remember: confronting a neglectful caregiver can be difficult. Ask for support from a leader in your community.

Help protect others ■■

Increase awareness in the community about the importance of basic means for children’s health and proper development

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Fight discrimination against children in the com-

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Reporting Child Neglect In our village there is a man called Zedekiah, he is our neighbor. He neglected his children, and they started doing bad things. They were not even blamed even if they do bad things—these children of his has started even to smoke, but one of them was my friend, he told me what happened I started and I started advising him to

make friendship with the relatives and neighbors and ask them for help. I tell their father and he stops neglecting his children also did so and got help from his relatives and neighbors. The father started connecting with the children; they also became good and started behaving well. —TAPA

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AC T I V I T Y Communication Skills: Negotiation There are some cases where neglect happens because of discrimination. Other times neglect is unintentional and happens because of extreme poverty, in which case the family needs material assistance (for example, when no one in the household is able to work, such as with very elderly caregivers or child headed households). However, neglect often happens because households do not prioritize the needs of children and spend the resources they have on other things. Helping households shift their priorities towards children requires strong negotiation skills. Negotiation skills help you understand a person’s point of view, present new information, and work together to find solutions or change behaviours. Point of view: This is how a person feels about an issue or understands a situation. As a group, carefully consider a caregiver’s point of view, and brainstorm some of the reasons why caregivers may neglect children. What are the other priorities that come in the way of taking care of children? New Information: What new information can you present to change neglectful behavior? Make a list and then compare to the list below: • Information about child rights • Ugandan and international laws that protect children and describe how they should be cared for • Facts about child development: children need basic care, as well as love and attention, to develop into healthy and productive adults who contribute to their communities • Information about available services that are affordable and nearby (health centers, CBOs, UPE schools) • Examples from the community about households in similar conditions that prioritize the needs of children Finding Solutions: Once you understand a person’s point of view and provide them with the necessary information, you can work together to find solutions that respect the person’s point of view and also prioritize the wellbeing of children. Remember that behaviour change is difficult. Work toward your goals in small, realistic steps. Practice these steps. Write stories of neglect you have seen in your community and use these stories as case studies to role play and practice negotiation skills.

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REMEMBER! Even when there are several children in a household, each child has the right to have his or her basic needs met.

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3. DEFILEMENT REMEMBER! What is Defilement? Defilement is any attempt to perform any type of sexual intercourse with a person below 18 years of age—with or without consent. Sexual abuse can mean any inappropriate, coerced, or forced sexual activity, touching, exploitation, misconduct, or sexual assault involving a child. Defilement and sexual abuse are the second most commonly reported violations of children’s rights in Uganda5. They are very serious and can be life threatening, as well as cause serious physical and emotional trauma. Girls are the most common victims of defilement or sexual abuse, but many boys are also the victims of defilement. Sometimes strangers commit these crimes, but most often it is relatives at home, teachers, or people in the community who commit the crime. Some challenges to persecuting these crimes include6: ■■

Lack of awareness of the law

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When the victim or the victim’s family chooses not to cooperate with the police and instead protects the offender (some family members prefer to keep a secret rather than take a relative to court)

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When victims’ families receive some kind of payment or bride price even when their child has been defiled and the law does not permit marriage of persons below 18 years Lack of birth certificates for some children, which makes it hard for one to determine the age of the victim

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Limited Police surgeon services and destruction of evidence by victims

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Need to train law enforcement agents on how to deal with cases of defilement and reassuring victims

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Need for increased access to justice and for resolving case backlog in courts of law

Vulnerability and Risk Some children are more vulnerable to defilement and sexual abuse. There are things government, communities, and NGOs are doing to help reduce this vulnerability. Children with increased vulnerability include: ■■

Girls

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Boys and girls in child-headed homes or who are out-of-school

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Children with disabilities

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Children in poverty

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Children living away from their families, and

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Children engaged in child labour.

Certain situations put a child at higher risk of defilement or sexual abuse. Some things that can increase risk of defilement or sexual abuse include: ■■

Using drugs or alcohol (which impair judgment and ability to make good decisions)

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Being alone with a potentially dangerous adult who is not a trusted caregiver (especially girls with men)

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Accepting food, drink, gifts, or favors from adults who are trying to be friendly with you

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Walking alone in deserted or dark areas, or

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Going to disco or video halls at night.

Some signs of defilement might include: sexualized behaviour or knowledge inconsistent with their age; depression, or sudden changes in behaviour or school performance; complaints of abuse or fear of abuse.

5. ANPPCAN Uganda, “Baseline Survey to Assess Violence against Children in Arua, Apac, Kitgum, Mukono and Rakai Districts,” (April 2011). 6. Dora Byamukama, “Uganda: How Can the Law on Defilement Be Made more Effective?” (October 20, 2010), http://allafrica.com/stories/201010201083.html.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Story of avoiding risks In our home we are five people including our father and mother. Our parents told us no to move around during night time. They always tell us to stay home and do house works and we listened to that and agree with it. But one day our old sister escape and went alone during the night there was “a disco” near by. She joined with other bad friends to go and attend that “disco” when they were on the way going they met another group of boys they joined together. When they reached there every boy decided

to dance with a girl. My sister had never attended a disco she felt uncomfortable in that thing and she was forced to do that time go on. When the disco was over they had to go back home every boy went with a girl and my sister were defiled by that boy. Her say young boy and girls you must learn to listen to your parents even if they are old or poor listen to what they advise you. Parent, care givers and other people keep on advising children to do right things at right time and in a right place. Thank your. Stay safe. —KABBICCA CRC

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Respond to Defilement and Sexual Abuse!

Help Protect Yourself7 ■■

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When meeting with an adult, always have at least one friend with you so you can raise an alarm if you meet danger. Walk with your ears and eyes open, avoiding late hours, lonely or dimly lit places or being alone in a room with a man other than your trusted family members. Walk with friends to and from school, etc. Know what parts of the body belong to YOU only and know what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by an adult. Be comfortable saying NO and running away from a dangerous situation. Do not allow someone to involve you into doing anything that makes you feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe. Do not answer the door for a stranger or even a family friend when you are home alone, even if he is asking for help. For safety reasons, clothing you wear in public places should not embarrass you or attract too much negative attention from men/boys.

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Don’t spend time with people you don’t know in private places.

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Understand the difference between good secrets and bad secrets; if someone has made you uncomfortable or acted inappropriately and said to keep it a secret, find a trusted adult immediately and tell him or her about it.

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Dispel dangerous myths (e.g. having sex with a virgin cures HIV/AIDS, sex makes you prosperous, etc.).

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Be confident in yourself! Love who you are! Do not depend on compliments or gifts to feel important and loved.

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Do not accept gifts or money from people whom you do not trust. They may require you to pay them back with sexual favors.

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Avoid risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol or watching movies in video halls.

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Work hard to do well in school and complete your studies.

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Avoid bad peer groups and negative influences in and out of school.

How to Respond ■■

First, children should know that sexual abuse is NEVER the child’s fault. It is a violent crime, an abuse of power, and a child rights violation.

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Children who have been sexually abused or defiled require health services immediately. As soon as possible, children should be taken to a clinic or health center and explain what has happened so the needed services can be provided. If the status of the person who defiled the child is unknown, there is some medicine to reduce the chances of HIV that need to be given to the child as quickly as possible, within 72 hours.

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Sexual abuse and defilement are serious crimes that should be reported to the police. This can

7. Dolphin Anti-Rape and AIDS Control Outreach. Department of Anti-Rape. Eldoret, Kenya.

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be hard if the person who committed the crime is important or well-liked in the community, or if the person is a relative or family friend, and some adults may intimidate you not to report but the crime should still be reported. Try to find an adult whom you trust and who can help you respond to the situation. If that person doesn’t believe you, keep reporting it until you find someone who does. ■■

Many victims of sexual abuse are made to feel guilty, shamed, and fearful because of the abuse. Peer to peer support can help a person recover his or her confidence, happiness, and understanding that the victim is NEVER to blame for the abuse.

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Sexual abuse and defilement can be traumatic, and talking to a counselor can be helpful. If you do not know of a counselor you can approach, ask a trusted adult to help you find one.

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If you think a friend has been defiled or sexually abused, you should approach your friend to see if you can help them report it to an adult. If the friend is unwilling, you should still report to an adult you trust who can follow up on the situation and get the friend psychosocial support and immediate medical care. Your friend might be upset, but your friendship will be stronger if you support your friend through a hard time.

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If a friend has been defiled or sexually abused, be sensitive to their feelings. Sexual abuse can

be traumatic, and by telling peers, community member or the media, can make them feel as if they are re-living the abuse and can make things worse. Respect your friend’s privacy and be thoughtful, encouraging and supportive. Even judges, doctors, lawyers, and teachers are expected to keep these issues confidential and to respect the privacy of individuals.

If you do not feel comfortable reporting to someone in your community, call the Child Helpline. The number to call is 0800111222 or 0800111333. Soon these numbers will change and you will only need to dial 116. An experienced counselor will listen to you on the phone and guide you on what steps you should take. The call is free.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Learning from the past, avoid risky situations A girl of around 14 years was raped when she had gone to collect firewood by unknown boy. When she reached home they rushed her to the hospital for treatment. And I was very concerned. It was my responsibility to every Sunday encourage parents

to stop sending children alone to far places or even fetching water when they are not in groups. Since that day now it’s coming to 4 years I have not heard of the same case again. People responded so much. —BHTF

ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Critical Thinking 1. Look at the list of situations below and decide if each is “high risk” or “low risk”. a. Walking home alone from a late night activity b. Getting extra help from a teacher after school with a study group c. Sneaking out at night without parents’ permission d. Accepting gifts from adults or other students e. Attending a supervised evening dance f. Doing housework for a teacher in return for extra lessons g. Walking home from school with friends h. Drinking alcohol and taking drugs i. Getting free rides from a boda boda 2. After identifying high risk situations from the list above, in your CRC, break into pairs; assign a situation to each pair and think of ways to reduce the risk. Share with other members of the CRC by acting out the situation and role play some ways to reduce risk or avoid the situation altogether. After performing, discuss with your peers other ideas for reducing risk or avoiding the risky situation. 3. Make an action list specific to yourself and your community describing what you would do if you or someone you know was sexually abused. To what authorities would you report the abuse? Who is a trusted adult to whom would report the crime? If helping a friend, what approach can you take to making your friend feel safe and protected through this process? What resources are available in your community? Write out a hypothetical “Action Plan*”. Remember that this Action Plan is not just an exercise, it can be used in the future if you encounter defilement or sexual abuse. *An Action Plan is a detailed, step-by-step plan of what you would do in that situation

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Reporting Defilement The day when a girl of 8 years was raped by an old man of 45 years in Kaihura parish. He was taken to the nearby police post Kaihura and then taken to Kyenjojo police station and from the police he was taken to Kyenjojo high court which ruled that he was to be imprisoned and he was taken to Katojo. —BHTF

With Support from Friends and Neighbors, a Victim of Sexual Abuse Returns to School In the previous years in our village there was a girl who was a bright pupil. She was in P3 when her father died. Her father’s relatives sent her mother away and they with held all the family property.

The girl was taken to an uncle. He gave her school fees for one term. As the girl was my best friend, I used to tell the teachers and talked to her about joining child rights club. Because she was my best friend, she did what I told her. She was a bright pupil and she was even loved by the teachers. Then her uncle said there was no more money. She stayed at home the whole of third term and became their house-girl. One night her uncle defiled her. When she tried to shout for help she was helped by the neighbors. She was loved by the teachers and joining the club mentioned, the teachers were preparing to visit and see what had gone wrong with her. As they were talking with the girl, she told them the whole story since she was bright. She was helped to go back to school and told this uncle about child rights. Then as we talk she is at school studying. —BHTF

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Peer-to-Peer Support The best way to provide emotional support is to try hard to understand the victim’s point of view. Imagine how you would feel if you were in the same situation. We call this practicing “empathy.” How would you feel if you were sexually abused? Write down these feelings on a piece of paper. You can use single words, or a poem, if that’s easier. Working in pairs, share these feelings with each other and discuss what a person can say or do when listening to someone sharing difficult feelings. Take turns role playing how you would provide support. Pay attention to your language, tone, and body language.

Skills Practice: Organize Organize an event at your school or in the community to increase awareness about sexual abuse and the importance of reporting, or about ways to reduce the risk of sexual abuse. To prepare the event, consider the following: • Prepare your message: you can do this through speeches, drama, music, stories, etc. Make sure to practice ahead of time so you communicate effectively and accurately. • Invite guest speakers who can help to strengthen your message – these can be community leaders, religious leaders, district staff, CBO leaders, etc. • Working with your school or community leaders, decide on a place and time that works well for the people you want to invite • Invite people ahead of time so they plan on attending • Remember, the purpose of the event is to reduce sexual abuse in the community and improve response, so stay focused on the message.

REMEMBER! ■■

Sexual abuse and defilement are NEVER THE CHILD’S FAULT. Children always deserve to be protected and cared for.

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Sexual abuse and defilement are serious crimes that need to be reported. It can be scary to report sexual abuse or defilement, especially if the abuser is a relative or important figure in the community. Remember that reporting them not only helps protect you, but also helps keep other children from harm in the future.

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Vulnerability and Risk

4. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Some factors make children and families more vulnerable to domestic violence. These include: poverty, alcohol or drug abuse, unfaithfulness, a previous family history of violence, living with stepparents who discriminate against step-children, living with disabilities, gender inequality, and social or cultural norms that do not keep children safe.

REMEMBER! What is Domestic Violence? Domestic violence is physical, psychological or emotional abuse that occurs in or around the home between family or household members. Domestic violence includes all forms of abuse resulting from conflicts or misunderstandings that take place at home. The home should be a safe place for children, but domestic violence can make a home scary or unhappy. Domestic violence can be abuse toward a child, or abuse between a husband and wife or other household members. Even seeing and hearing physical, psychological or emotional abuse happening to other people in the household can be very damaging to children8. In fact, children who witness violence at home are more likely to remain victims of violence in adulthood or become violent themselves in the future, so it is very important to break the cycle of domestic violence.Remember that physical and emotional abuse of children is never an acceptable form of punishment even if a child has misbehaved. Children need discipline; however, discipline should never be abusive or cause children harm.

If children are behaving badly, not living up to their responsibilities, and not respecting the adults in their household, they may be increasing their risk of domestic violence. However, it is very important to remember that overly heavy punishments, emotional abuse, and child beating are never acceptable responses to behaviour problems and the abused child is never to blame. Some signs that a child is experiencing domestic violence might include when the child: shows sudden changes in behaviour or school performance; comes to school early, stays late, and does not want to go home; has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes; seems frightened or cries when it is time to go home from school; reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver. The parent or caregiver may show signs by: offering conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child’s injury; describing the child as “evil,” or in some other very negative way; abusing alcohol or drugs; or using harsh physical discipline with the child9.

8. Michael A. Koenig, Tom Lutalo, Feng Zhao, et al., “Domestic Violence in Rural Uganda: Evidence from a community-based study,” Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2003), 81:53. 9. North Carolina Division of Social Services, “About Child Abuse and Child Neglect.” Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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Respond to Domestic Violence!

How to Protect Yourself ■■

KNOW that domestic violence is a dangerous type of abuse, whether the child is witnessing it or the target of the abuse. No matter how common it may be in a particular family, it is not acceptable.

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UNDERSTAND that domestic violence often begins “small” but then becomes worse over time. Don’t wait to seek help.

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Raise awareness about domestic violence in your community. Talk to social workers, community leaders, NGOs, and counselors to learn about what can be done in your community to fight domestic violence. Talk to your friends about the issue. One of the reasons there is so much domestic violence in Uganda is because people do not talk about it and it remains a silent problem.

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Develop positive relationships with members of your family and household. The more you all respect and care for each other, the better you will be able to address problems calmly.

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Behave responsibly and respectfully with your household members.

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If you are having problems in the family that could lead to domestic violence, seek help before things worsen. A religious leader or community volunteer can help counsel the family to find solutions and to avoid violence and abuse.

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If someone at your household is using alcohol or drugs, your family is at greater risk of domestic violence. See the alcohol and drugs section on page 40 for ways to seek help.

If You or Someone You Know is Experiencing Domestic Violence a. If a situation may cause you harm, you should get out of that situation and get to immediate safety. Inform Legal Aid, Uganda Human Rights Association (AHURIO), the In-charge Child and Family Protection Unit at Police or Paralegals. Tell an adult you trust what is happening and that you feel scared to go home. This adult should help you find a safe place where you can stay until the situation is resolved. A safe place might be with another family member, a religious leader, or a district service provider. b. Make sure you consult with an adult you trust before going to a safe place. If you go on your own without any consultation, people may you think you ran away and become worried, or you could place yourself in more danger. If you feel you or your friends are in immediate danger, ask that trusted adult to help you find a safe place to go until someone can intervene. If you or your friend is injured, ask a trusted adult to accompany you to a clinic or hospital. c. If people in your household are violent or abusive towards each other, ask a religious leader, elder, or another well-respected person in the community with knowledge of child rights about the situation, and ask them to discuss other options for conflict resolution with the person committing the abuse. As you read the following stories, think about how your response could make a difference in children’s lives:

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Response to Physical Abuse at Home In Kyongera, Kyansozi sub-county so many activists intervened in a situation where an orphan in the village was severely burnt for having eaten some ground nuts from his guardian’s home. After the child was burnt a concerned village mate alerted the activist members. Visited the home where the orphan lived finding out that the child was actually burnt severely and was in critical condition. The village activist forced the offenders to quickly carry the child to the hospital for treatment. The activist with village members helped the police and followed up the case while the child was in the child was in the hospital, for three months until this child got better and was discharged. After leaving the hospital the grandparent ran away fearing being arrested and now the orphan is living with a relative. – BHTF

The problem is about child abuse. There was a child aged 12 years. He had a problem of his father. He normally abuse him through kicking him every morning and night because of studying. So when this project started through good training we get skills and knowledge of handling such problems. The action plan that we got through was to say that there is law we shall go to the office of human rights and other steps because a child has rights. The outcome was to listen and follow what next. The father also realize that problem and stop from kicking that boy badly. Now the boy is okay and he is studying well. He knows that he has a right of freedom and a right of not being touched as child abuse. From there the father knows that there is a right of taking him to that office and other steps. That is my success story. – NGOMBE

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Critical Thinking Positive Discipline Very often physical and emotional abuse are committed with the intention of disciplining or punishing children for bad behaviour. Discipline is extremely important as it helps children to learn values and behaviours that will help them to become good members of society. However, discipline should never be abusive. Positive discipline teaches children values and boundaries, while respecting the rights of the child and ensuring they will not suffer any physical and emotional harm. Positive discipline helps children take responsibility for making good decisions and understand why those decisions were in their best interest. Positive discipline does not use fear, but helps children learn self-discipline. It involves giving children clear guidelines for what behaviour is acceptable and then supporting them as they learn to abide by these guidelines. Positive discipline uses activities that are not harmful to the child. It helps children to stop, think about their behaviour, identify ways to act differently in the future. Examples of positive discipline include: 1. Taking time out to reflect on the situation 2. Doing appropriate chores at home or at school 3. Apologizing 4. Recognizing good behaviours through public recognition (Hall of Fame, student of the month, etc) 5. Making commitment contracts to better behaviours 6. Agreeing on consequences of bad behaviours In small groups, discuss how positive discipline can be used in the following examples: • A child burns the food because of not following instructions in the kitchen • A child goes to play instead of fetching water in the afternoon • A child is rude to their caregiver, saying mean things or using bad words or an inappropriate tone • A child performs badly in school because of not paying attention • A child steals from a market vendor After you discuss these, prepare a presentation for a community dialogue about the benefits of positive discipline. You can prepare stories or a drama. Work with your club to present this to caregivers in the community to increase support for positive discipline at home and in your school. Reflect: What are the consequences of abusive discipline? How can abusive discipline affect the body or mind of a child in the short term…and in the long term?

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Communication Skills 1. With members of your CRC, design a symbol or logo against domestic violence that can be used on t-shirts or banners to raise community awareness about domestic violence and the harm it does to children and families. You can also draw pictures that can be posted in your school and community or as mural paintings. 2. In small groups, make a list of interview questions you could ask a social worker or NGO staff member about domestic violence. Then, visit an NGO or social worker and conduct the interview.

REMEMBER! ■■

Children have the right to be protected from physical, psychological, and emotional harm. This does not mean they can do whatever they want, because children also have responsibilities to help around the house, study hard, and be respectful of adults and elders.

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Even if children do make mistakes or misbehave, child beating, tying up, burning, or denying basic needs are NEVER acceptable forms of punishment.

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5. DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE REMEMBER! Drug and alcohol use means using substances— such as marijuana, chatt, opium, glue, fuel, etc. and beer, wine, waragi, etc.—that impair thinking and good judgment. Drug and alcohol use is illegal for children in Uganda and increases the risk of child rights abuses. Children use drugs and alcohol for fun and relaxation, or because they are depressed and want to forget their cares and troubles, or because their friends are pressuring them, or because they witness adults using or abusing them. Some adults are able to drink alcohol responsibly, but alcohol and drugs are always dangerous and illegal for children. They are very addictive, impair judgement, and can alter behaviour. They can also cause serious accidents and put children at risk for sexual and physical abuse or for risky activity and exposure to HIV

and sexually transmitted infections. They lower the body’s immunity, or ability to fight off infections and illnesses, and can cause depression as their effects wear off. Many friendships and families are broken by drug and alcohol use, which can cause immediate and permanent damage to your brain, heart and liver. Excessive drug and alcohol use can lead to death.

Vulnerability and Risk Some children are more vulnerable to use of drugs and alcohol. Children who have depression, anger or low self-esteem, or who lack trusted adult mentors, or those who have adult role models who use and abuse substances are more vulnerable to using drugs and alcohol. Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a disease that may require medical or psychological intervention (counseling). Youth who have only begun to “experiment” with these substances are very vulnerable to continued use and the problems that come with it. Certain things can increase the risk that a child or youth will choose to try alcohol or drugs. For example, advertisements and certain sellers at bars and discos may try to portray alcohol and drug use as “normal” or safe for young people in order to increase sales. Popular music is filled with drug and alcohol references, and peers who are lacking in confidence themselves may try to pressure their friends to take “just one” little sip, sniff, puff, etc. It’s important that child rights leaders understand the dangers of alcohol and drugs, and that they have strategies to help their friends resist the temptation to use them.

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Respond to Drug and Alcohol Use!

How to Protect Yourself ■■

Avoid hanging around bars and discos where you might be offered alcohol and drugs.

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Understand and educate friends about why people use alcohol and drugs, and their dangers.

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Talk to a trained counselor, religious leaders, CBO representative, or any trusted adult mentor or caregiver if:

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Stay active. Feeling healthy and in control of your body will make you stronger and more determined to protect it.

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Stay in school and work hard!!

How to respond to alcohol and drug use in your community ■■

If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol or drugs, talk to them and suggest they see a trained counselor, doctor, CBO representative, or any trusted adult mentor or caregiver. There are people and organizations who have been trained to help people with drug and alcohol problems.

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Talking to a family member who abuses alcohol or drugs can be difficult. If you feel uncomfortable, you can ask a trusted adult to talk to the family member to suggest they get help to stop using drugs and alcohol.

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Demonstrate to your peers confidence in your choice NOT to use alcohol or drugs. If you are happy and confident in your decision, others will admire the path you have chosen. Be proud you don’t drink or use drugs.

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Work with your CRC patron to invite a guest speaker who has conquered substance use and abuse and who can tell you about his or her negative experiences so club members can learn from them.

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Share what you know about the short and long term effects of alcohol and drugs on your body and mind through posters, art and literature, community events, and role plays with your friends and CRC members.

• You feel depressed, sad, lonely or hopeless • Your parent, caregiver or sibling has a problem with alcohol or drugs: the effects of witnessing this problem can make you more vulnerable to abusing substances so it’s important you have support to make sure you avoid the same problem. • You can’t stop using alcohol or drugs ■■

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Imagine what you want to do in the future. Think about the kind of person you want to be in your community. Imagine skills or hobbies you would like to develop in yourself. Now imagine keeping the path to your dreams clear of obstacles. Practice self-confidence (yes, it takes practice!) and being assertive10 enough to say “No!” when you are feeling pressure by peers to partake in drug or alcohol use. Understand that even if adults or other youth in your life are using and abusing alcohol, you are an individual with your own goals and talents, and you have the right and power to make different choices. Know you are NOT alone and do not despair; seek help and support from others to ensure you stay on the right path.

10. United Nations, “Conflict Negotiation Skills for Youth,” (2003), ST/ESCAP/2286.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Alcohol Can Lead to Abuse and Destroy a Family! Alcohol Leads to Defilement A man used to drink Malwa (local millet brew). When his wife was away, he defiled his daughter. When the mother returned, the daughter reported her father. The mother reported to police and took the daughter to hospital. The man was taken to prison for life. This man failed to think well after taking alcohol.

Child’s Rights Club Conversation Joy: Hello Mary, are you at home? Mary: Yes Joy, I am at home thinking about my rights being violated. Joy: What’s up with your rights? Mary: This is one week when my mother divorced for she was beaten by my drunkard father for not keeping food for him. Joy: Does it affect your life? Mary: Of course, my rights will be violated. Joy: How will your rights be violated? Mary: Before my mother divorced, she could provide me with school fees for she knew my father was a drunkard. Joy: How does your father behave now days? Mary: He told me to leave school for he has no fees to take me back to school. And yet it is my right to go to school. Joy: How do you get food for your survival? Mary: My father does not provide me with food. Instead he wakes up early in the morning and goes to town to drink alcohol. Late in evening he comes back when he is drunkard. Joy: What do you do for your survival? Mary: I make sure I wake up early in the morning to steal mokoke from our neighbor’s gardens. After that I fetch water. Joy: Oh Mary, what a pity! Surely children’s rights can only be fulfilled when all the parents take a concern. If you were Mary, what would you do about her drunkard father?

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Be Assertive We all know people who confidently and respectfully state what they would like to do. Assertive behavior can help you follow through with good decisions and build your self-esteem. If you are assertive you: • Tell someone exactly what you want in a way that is courteous…not rude or threatening • Stand up for your own rights without putting down the rights of others • Respect yourself as well as the other person • Listen and discuss • Express/share positive and negative feelings • Be confident and firm, but not “pushy” or “bossy” • Stay strong and know what you want to say • Use “I” statements For example, you can say: ✓ “No, thank you, I don’t want a drink of beer. I need to go home and study.” ✓ “No, I’m not interested in smoking. Do you want to join me in a game of basketball instead?” ✓ “None for me. It will make me feel sick tomorrow.” ✓ “No, I don’t feel like letting anything get in the way of my dreams.” • Use body language that shows you are standing your ground and are confident in your decision. Even if you are nervous inside, you can practice acting confident, and eventually you will feel it! If simply being assertive doesn’t solve the problem, you can try a win-win approach. This approach is about both people being satisfied with the outcome. For example, “If you don’t take that drink of alcohol, I’ll be happy to play football with you this afternoon.” Or, “If you are looking for a new group of friends who don’t drink, my group of friends will welcome you in.” Of course sometimes, you have to stick to your values even when the other person refuses to agree with you. Practice: Being assertive can be difficult and the more you practice it the better you will be. Divide into pairs and role play a situation in which a friend tries to convince the other to use drugs or alcohol. The person role playing the friend should be creative in trying to convince the other, and the other person should try out many different assertive ways of saying “No”. After a few minutes switch roles so both people get some practice.

REMEMBER! There is NO good reason for you to use alcohol or drugs; they can you ruin your brain, your body, and your future.

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their babies; these problems can sometimes lead to death of the mother or baby11.

6. EARLY MARRIAGE REMEMBER! What is Early Marriage Early marriage is the practice of a child—a person below 18 years—marrying with or without their consent.

Early marriage is common in many communities. Usually, girls are given in marriage to much older men. This can be very harmful physically, emotionally, academically and socially. ■■

Many girls drop out of school when they are married, and never return to finish their education.

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Girls who marry early and have older husbands are at a higher risk of HIV than girls who are not married.

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Girls are often expected to get pregnant soon after getting married or are forced into marriage after becoming pregnant (or even after being defiled). Girls who get pregnant young have a much higher risk of health problems for themselves and

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Parents sometimes give their children in marriage early as a way to acquire money and resources for the family, despite the risks to the girl child.

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Girls who marry early are at more risk for domestic violence12, and to have less decisionmaking power in the household13 .

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Many early marriages are informal and often result in challenges around inheritance, social recognition, and polygamy.

Vulnerability and Risk Some girls are more vulnerable to early marriage than others. Coming from a poor family, not going to school, and having an unstable family life are some of the factors that increase vulnerability to early marriage. Early pregnancy is the most common reason that girls are pushed into early marriages, and therefore risky behaviors that result in sexual activity are the key risk factors for early marriage.

11. UNICEF, “Early Marriage: A Harmful Traditional Practice,” (April 2005), 2. 12. Ibid, 2. 13. International Center for Research on Women, “New Insights on Preventing Child Marriage: A Global Analysis of Factors and Programs,” (April 2007).

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Respond to Early Marriage!

How to Protect Yourself ■■

If You or Someone You Know Is Being Given in Early Marriage

Stay in school and study hard; stay focused on performing well and preparing for your future.

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If you or someone you know is being forced into marriage, you can report to your LC1, CDO, Probation Office, Child and family protection unit at the police, religious leaders, CBOs, or any adult that you trust.

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Advocate within your community about the benefits of letting children complete their education for long-term financial benefits through better job opportunities later.

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Talk to your caregivers about your hopes and dreams and about how you do not want to be married young.

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If you or your friend is being forced into early marriage, talk to a trusted adult and ask them to intervene on your or your friend’s behalf.

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Remember that although it is often accepted culturally, early marriage is illegal in Uganda.

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Avoid peer pressure to engage in sexual activities that can lead to early pregnancy and early marriage.

If you or a friend are considering early marriage as a solution to poverty or problems at home, consider the risks of early marriage and think about the best decisions for your future.

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Some communities have income generating activities, vocational training, or savings groups for young mothers which can help girls who are married young to remain as productive members of the community. Many girls are also encouraged to go back to school if someone in the family can help to care for any children.

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Avoid gifts and money from adults who may demand sexual favors that result in early pregnancy and early marriage.

Even though early marriage is often accepted in communities, it can be very dangerous—even deadly. Girls and boys can work to help protect themselves and to increase awareness to prevent it.

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Discussion 1. Go home and talk to your caregivers about issues that are important to you. Is there something you want to be when you grow up? What can you do to get there? How can your caregivers support you? 2. With your CRC, organize an advocacy event about early marriage to open community dialogue. 3. Invite girls or women who were married early to share their experiences with girls in your school or community. Some girls think that getting married will make their life easier and are tempted to approach men. Hearing from other women about the challenges of early marriage may help them to understand better the challenges and make more informed decisions.

Communication and Negotiation Skills: Saying NO to sexual activity and early marriage Part 1: Know yourself Communication skills begin with self confidence. To develop this self confidence you must know yourself. You can develop this confidence through this personal reflection activity: Each member should have a piece of paper and draw a shield on it. Divide the shield into 4 parts. Then answer each of the four questions in the shield: 1. What is your greatest accomplishment? 2. What are your skills and talents? 3. What are you hopes and dreams for the future? 4. What can you do to protect your dreams and hopes from early pregnancy, early marriage or school drop out? After all members have written down their answers on their shield, everyone should come up with his or her personal motto or slogan that inspires them. Examples may include: “I am strong” or “I will succeed in life.” Once the shields are done, you can decorate them and hang them around the classroom or community center. Discuss challenges you can face on your way to reaching your potential—and how self confidence can help you avoid these risks.

Part 2: Communicate well As mentioned, good communication takes practice. However, it can help boys and girls, especially, avoid early pregnancy and early marriage by practicing saying “No” respectfully and with confidence. Have girls practice saying NO in the following role plays: 1. A father tells his daughter she needs to be married because the family needs the bride price 2. An older man offers a girl a gift 3. An uncle takes a girl who is pregnant to marry the man who impregnated her 4. A boyfriend tells a girl he loves her and the way to show their love is by having sex

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Early Marriage In our village clan early marriage is common practice whereby most young girls are forced to drop out from school and get married to people who are above their age. In doing this parents are expecting to get money which is well known as the bride price/ bride wealth. One day one of my sisters was forced to drop out of school at the age of 14 and get married. My sister was called Annet. Annet after reaching that man she faced a problem of his wife who could never want that sister of mine to share the same husband. So they kept quarreling every time. One day the wife of that man burnt Annet with hot water. Annet’s face was burnt seriously. Annet could not go back home because our father had already eaten the money. And in our clan when you eat the money for your daughter who is going to get married, you refund that money if your daughter fails to stay with that man. Unfortunately, my father had no way how he could refund that money. My sister got pregnant she suffered with it. And during the time of delivery, she died with it at the end of 17. That was the end of Annet’s life due to unwanted early marriage. – REDROC

REMEMBER! Staying in school and performing well is the best way to postpone marriage and make sure your life is the one YOU choose.

I had my neighbor who was a girl and in school. She was in primary six aged 13 years. That neighbor of mine had a group of friends and was bad. Her friends forced her to drop out from school and she did so. After she had dropped from school she got married to a certain man who had lost his wife because of HIV. That man was mistreating that girl. The girl was not able to do the work that the husband had told her to do and in time, he would tell her to dig a big land in only one day and wash a big heap of clothes plus other domestic work. And when he finds that the girl had not finished the work he canes her seriously. To add salt to an injury he also kicks her and boxes her. After one month she got pregnant. She was also doing a lot of work. After nine months she was ready to produce but her husband refused to take her to the hospital but the relatives took her to the hospital. The girl was not able to push out the baby because she had no hips to support her and they operated on the girl and also tested for HIV and found out that she was positive and after seven days they were sent back home. Two days passed and the baby died and the girl was still sick and showing sign of HIV. One month passed and unfortunately the girl died and that was the end of her life. I conclude by advising the fellow pupils like me to join child rights club to advise you more about that and stop joining bad peer groups. – KYEFA

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7. DENYING EDUCATION REMEMBER! What is Denying Education? Every child has a right to education, which is the process of sharing knowledge and skills in school, at home, in the community, and through other institutions. Denying children education—particularly primary school education—is a violation of child rights. Ugandan education policy states that parents and caregivers have the responsibility to register their children of school-going age at school. The government has the responsibility to make sure children are safe and secure at school and at all education institutions, and that no children are sent away

from school or denied education for failure to pay. However, children are still kept from school for a number of reasons. These include: ■■

Poverty

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Needing to work to support family members

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Stigma against OVC

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Unsafe route to school

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Corporal punishment

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Religious reasons

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Problems at home

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Gender discrimination

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Lack of latrines, water, and sanitation

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Involvement in early marriage for family benefit

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Low quality of education

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Schools chasing students away for lack of uniform or other materials

Respond to Denial of Education!

Protect your right and your friends’ rights to education ■■

When someone tells you that you cannot attend school, talk to your parent, your teacher, your Headmaster/mistress, your CRC patron, a CBO representative or another trusted adult.

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Always encourage your classmates, your friends and your neighbors to stay in school.

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Never bully a peer so that they don’t want to come to school.

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Use positive peer pressure to show your friends good study habits and to encourage working together to support a friend struggling academically.

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Hold events and discussions in the community about the value of education and emphasize that education is for all children.

How to respond ■■

If you see that a friend has stopped attending school, ask him why. Encourage him to return. Bring him to your CRC. If someone is preventing him from attending school, create a plan to help him stay in school. If you need guidance or adult intervention, talk to your CRC teacher mentor or any other trusted adult.

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If you see an adult using corporal punishment that causes students to run away from school, alert a CBO representative or another trusted adult. Talk to your CRC mentor about inviting other teachers to participate in events and discussions.

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Vulnerability and Risk Primary education is a right of every child. But some children—especially girls, orphans, disabled children, and HIV positive or very poor children— are more vulnerable than others to having their education denied. When any child is denied education, he or she loses the opportunity to develop intellectually and emotionally to reach his or her true potential; to make safe, healthy decisions; or to get productive employment as an adult.

IN OU R O W N W O R D S As a member of child right club Kyarusozi Senior Secondary School I am going to represent a story about denial of education. In 2007 I was having a friend, Richard, who was the best friend that I had last year. When his mother separated with his father in 2004 his father got another woman and she became his stepmother. His stepmother was having one child whom he was in P.2 and Richard was in P.5. Richard was stopped from schooling and his stepmother’s daughter was schooling. When CRC was introduced in our school last year I become to know my rights, responsibilities too and how to protect them, and I found it that Richard was denied from schooling yet it was his right. One day when his father and stepmother was not there, I told Richard his rights and what is happening at school. At last Richard appreciated what I told him and he told me that he wanted to go back to school. Immediately

I went to school and told the patron of the child right club about that. On the second day he went to the home of my friend and I accompanied him to talk with the father of Richard but he refused to let Richard to go to school and he told us that he is going to study like who if his mother and father are not educated. [On yet] another day he also gone there and he told his father about the rights of Richard and his father told Richard to start schooling. Richard started schooling at Kyarosou P.1 and he was transferred to Katooke Modern and he lives with his grandmom. He sometimes come and visits me and he tells me that I am the one who helped him to go to school and if God didn’t create me he wouldn’t have been going to school. I advise you to report if you’re in that situation. I conclude by saying that CRC has made life much easier than ever before. For God and my country. Thank you. —KYEFA CRC Kyarusozi SSS

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Disrupting Our Education In our school, there is a girl, who has been missing from school and preferring to go and attend marketing days on Saturday, it was a private school. One day our Director of Studies called her and questioned her why she was not attended Jannet. She replied that she normally attends market days to sell a few products from her business so that she can raise her school fees to keep in school. Unfortunately enough, the teachers could not listen to her argument, and one day a teacher got her in the school compound and

took her to the staff room and she was asked to lie down and be beaten for absenting herself, although the girl continued pleading for forgiveness but all in vain. After that, the teachers who were in the staff room all got canes and started beating her wherever they could find and the girl also tried to fight them, but the teacher overpowered her and she had to run away from school. Then the girl went forever and ever. —P7, Kanamba primary school, 16 years, Female REDROC

ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Critical Thinking Questions about the stories: • The first story ends successfully. If you were in the author’s situation, would you handle it the same way? Is there a different way you could respond to the problem? • Consider the second story. If you were the author, what would you do? Other questions for discussion: • What are ways that you have seen children denied their right to an education? • For each way that you listed above, describe how you and/or your CRC might respond.

REMEMBER! No one should deny your right to an education. If you feel that your education is being prevented for any reason and you and your family need help, talk to your CRC about what to do!

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Organizing At school: Work with teachers and club members to organize a discussion about why some students leave school. This discussion can be part of a school assembly or other school activity. If many issues come up, such as corporal punishment, unsupportive caregivers, early marriage, and others, develop an action plan on how to address these problems. Think about how adults can help you achieve your goals. Challenges at home and in the community will require community outreach, and challenges at school may require a committee of students and teachers that promote positive discipline, respect among teachers and students, no bullying policies, and other strategies that encourage children to stay in school. In the community: Make a school attendance census. During the holiday, organize the members of the club to go around to every house in the community and find out if all children are going to school. If some children are not going to school, ask them why and write down the reasons. Back in your club, make an action plan with your CRC mentor to follow up with all the children who are out of school and to see if you can help them return to school. Also, ask your math and SST teachers to help you analyze the information. Present the information about out of school children to your community leaders and your LC1. Encourage leaders to use this information to advocate for more services for children and youth. Organizing tip: Written records will help you keep track and do better follow up. Make a list of all the children out of school and each time CRC members follow up, write it down so you can see who still needs help.

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8. DISCRIMINATION REMEMBER! What is Discrimination? Discrimination is when someone is made to suffer—or is restricted from rights or opportunities others have—because of race, gender, language, religion, ethnicity, politics, poverty, HIV status, appearance, beliefs, or physical or mental disability.

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Poem about How to Care and Support People with HIV/AIDS Pola was lonely. She was infected with AIDS at birth AIDS has no cure. She knew that death is awaited her She waited for that hour, The hour to breathe her last. But Pola did not remain lonely Everyone stood for her, Her family, friends, neighbors supported her. Pola was not sad and miserable Pola did not die the next day. She remained in school and studied hard and passed her exams. Now Pola lives just like you and me. When you meet her today remember that all she wants from you is CARE.

Discrimination against children is a major rights violation because children everywhere deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Vulnerability and Risk In Uganda, some children are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, including: children with disabilities, HIV positive children, children who are chronically ill, orphans, children in conflict with the law, and street children. Discrimination against children includes denial of education or medical treatment, emotional and physical abuse, hiding children from the community or locking them up at home, and intentional neglect. Sometimes children are discriminated against for their family background or economic status. Discrimination also takes place because of gender and can happen against both boys and girls. Discrimination can lead to physical and emotional harm and may even lead to suicide. How to Respond to Discrimination! ■■

If someone you know is being mistreated as a result of discrimination, report the issue to a trusted adult or friend who can help you.

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If you feel confident enough, share your experience of discrimination with friends and other community members and advocate for better treatment of all children.

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If you are not sure who can help you, call the Child Helpline at 0800111222 or 0800111333. (soon these numbers will change and you will only need to dial 116) for more guidance.

–NGOMBE CRC

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Special Needs but Many Talents and Capabilities Many of our parents, relatives, teachers, guardians, and communities think disabled children are a curse from God. They think God is punishing them for the wrongs they have done. A story from Richard who was born crippled. He couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk, he would be carried everywhere he wanted to go. Sometimes his brothers did not want to play with him because he could not run like them. As they played he would sit on the verandah alone. He would be doing home work. He could only do things that would not need him to run around and jump like his brothers. His parents never gave up on him. They took him to school under special care.

He performed very well in class as he was always among the best pupils in the class. He did well in writing, art, maths and craft. As he grew older, he practiced his skills and started drawing very nice pictures and wrote good words on clothes and banners. His parents always encouraged him to do his best. He went through secondary and university. After the university, he started his shop for his art pieces and book he sold. He became a popular man, married a good wife and produced children at the age of 38 years. His brothers never became successful like him. Richard brought happiness to his family and helped his parents, relatives and those brothers. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;PAUL, 16

REMEMBER! All children have rights and deserve to be treated with respect. If someone is mistreating you and discriminating against you, this is illegal and should be reported.

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice: Critical Thinking Gender Discrimination Discrimination based on gender is all too common. In your school and community, what are types of discrimination faced by boys? By girls? Look at the list below and add your own ideas. Continue the discussion within your CRC about how to reduce discrimination against girls and against boys. Discrimination against Girls

Discrimination against Boys

Denial of education to do work at home

Denial of education to work in the fields, graze animals

Early marriage

Expected to be head of household and make money, especially if parents die

Expected to take care of brothers and sisters even at the expense of going to school

Boys are expected to be strong and sometimes given very hard labour that is too much for their age

People think girls are not good at math and science and do not give them opportunities to excel in these subjects

People think boys can be stubborn and unruly and discipline them too harshly

Domestic violence against women

Pressure to be sexually active and to drink alcohol to behave like a man

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Girls, Girls, Girls We are the mothers of tomorrow. Girls, Girls, Girls! We are the teachers of our nation. We are the doctors of Uganda. We are the lawyers of tomorrow. But we have heard of selfish men who rape and defile girls. Selfish fathers who abuse their daughters. Sugar daddies who spoil our futures. Working mothers who make us their babysitters. This is our prayer, Men of this nation, allow us to live. Dear fathers, stop assulting us. Men of this nation, allow us to be professionals. This is our prayer. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;NGOMBE CRC

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Boys, Boys, Boys We are fathers of tomorrow We are the leaders of nation We are the doctors of Uganda But we have heard of Sugar Mammies who spoil our future Selfish women who defile boys Boys, Boys, Boys We should join good peer groups We should reject bad advice From our friends This is our prayer Dear Lord, help in our struggle Wishes men of this nation Allow us to be leaders Amen. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Kanamba Child Right member. REDROC

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ACT I V I T Y Skills Practice to Combat Discrimination: Organize an Anti-Bullying Committee Some children are mistreated because of who they are. If you pay attention, you will see discrimination in school and in your community. Sometimes you need to think critically about certain situations to identify them as discrimination. In schools, one of the most common forms of discrimination is bullying. Children who are a bit different are teased, made fun of, beaten, and made to feel they do not belong. As a child protection leader, find out about this important issue. Organize an anti-bullying committee at your school and include teachers and students. The committee can write a constitution of how students and teachers treat each other with respect, and what actions are bullying and will not be allowed in the school. The committee can monitor student and teacher behaviour and report discriminatory acts to the administration for review. The committee can also organize dramas and discussions to help students and teachers understand how hurtful and dangerous discrimination can be, and how all people should treat each other kindly.

Counsel and Support Victims of Discrimination Many step-parents are loving towards their step-children, however, serious cases of discrimination sometimes happen in these relationships. When children and parents come together in a new family arrangement, maybe because of death or divorce, it is normal to have some difficult feelings such as uncertainty and jealously. However, when those feelings are not resolved, they can lead to discriminatory behaviours such as denial of food, medical treatment, and education for step-children, as well as physical and emotional abuse. In groups, think about how to discuss with the step-parent, along with the other guardians, ways to improve their behaviour towards step-children. Think about how to help the step-parent understand the feelings of the step-child and the legal obligation for the rights of children. Think also about how loving treatment to all children can help the household live in harmony. Practice giving this advice through role plays and dramas. When a child reports a case of discrimination with a step-parent, ask a trusted adult to discuss these issues with the step-parent. You can also ask the LC1 to help counsel the step-parent and the family as a whole. For wider community sensitization you can organize drama shows and discussions on discrimination of step-children so that all members in the community understand how badly children feel when mis-treated by their step-parents and to encourage good care of all children.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

How To Form and Run A Child Rights Club

This section serves as a resource for your Child Rights Clubs. It provides practical guidance for youth who want to set up their own Child Rights Clubs in schools or communities or for those who want to bring fresh ideas and activities to an existing club. What is a Child Rights Club? A Child Rights Club (CRC) is a group formed by both in- and out-of-school youth that enables them to learn about and discuss child rights and responsibilities, and to become leaders in protecting their own rights and the rights of others. Through the clubs, children can gain valuable life skills, communication skills, and leadership skills through peer-to-peer education, games, sports, debates, and other activities. Skills You Can Gain by Joining a CRC! ■■

Knowledge of child rights and responsibilities

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Leadership

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Self-confidence

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Communication

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Public Speaking

How Can You Form a CRC? Step 1: Gather Support If there is no existing CRC in your school or village/ community and you are interested in forming one, you can speak to your peers to gather support and receive feedback about your idea. Explain the purpose of the club (i.e. to learn more about child rights and responsibilities) and how your peers may benefit from participating (i.e. gaining leadership or communication skills, learning life skills, etc.). Gathering support from your peers will: make planning the club easier and more fun; allow other peers to contribute their good ideas; and will help your club achieve its objectives.

Step 2: Seek Permission Once you have committed to forming a club, seek permission or consent from the appropriate officials to form the CRC. For in-school youth, seek consent from a school headmaster/mistress, a head teacher, or other school official. For out-of-school youth, seek permission from CBO management and/or the

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Example of a Letter to a School Writing a formal letter to the relevant officials is a great way to inform the school administration or local authorities of your goals and to involve them in your activities. See the example here for ideas.

ness-raising meetings so that members learn about the importance and the role of child rights and responsibilities. Make sure to register members as they join and keep an attendance list on record for each meeting! Patron: CRC activities should be guided and supervised by a Patron. The Patron can be a head teacher/another school official (for in-school youth) or a community volunteer/leader (for out-of-school youth). S/he should be someone who is interested in and knowledgeable about child protection and child rights. As you form your club, speak to different officials or community members about your goals and jointly select one who is willing and able to supervise your group. Executive Committee/Peer Leaders: Once club members have been selected, you should elect an Executive Committee of agreed positions to govern activities. The committee typically consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, ViceSecretary, and Treasurer. Other positions can be added depending on the number of members and the particular activities of the club.

Step 4: Setting Rules and Regulations

local authorities. If there is another club that already discusses similar issues and wants to collaborate, you may decide to integrate the CRC into an existing club.

Step 3: Organize CRC Members and Leadership Member Recruitment: Any youth who is interested in learning more about child rights can join the club. Members should ideally represent a range of classes/ages and both genders. Clubs can range from 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 70 youth, but on average have about 40 members. You can hold sensitization and aware-

Members should discuss and come to consensus on club rules and regulations. Deciding on a regular meeting time and meeting venue should be a first consideration as you set your guidelines. Rules and regulations may vary from club to club, but may include information on how often the club will meet (i.e., weekly or monthly), how decisions and activities will be determined (i.e., by vote, by Executive Committee), and general club expectations (i.e., being respectful, being confidential, taking care of equipment and materials, etc. ). Once you agree upon Club rules, write them down and post them visibly in the meeting room so that they can be observed by everyone.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Why Do You Need a CRC? A Teachers’ Perspective:

How has having a CRC made your school safer?

How has having a CRC in your school made a difference?

Children at school are safe because they know the positive peer groups which they can associate with.They are now safe in the way that they cannot just accept gifts from strangers and even free lifts on the way to and from school. They are safe because of the teacher’s advice being given to them. Through the clubs, children can listen to their teacher’s advice on matters concerning protecting their lives.

The club has made a difference on children at school in the way that it gave them knowledge about their rights and the responsible people where to report in case their rights are violated. For example defilement, rape and corporal punishment are always reported to police.It made them active and more capable to speak in the public and even dance. Those who were shy are now active. It promoted friendship in the school with children from other schools. This has been made through music, dance and drama shows and even debating competitions with friendly schools.

How does the CRC help maintain discipline? Discipline is maintained because in the club children are guided to give respect to old people for example parents, teachers, relatives, and care givers. –Teacher at KABBICCA

Setting Some Basic Club Rules ■■

Members should be formally registered and sensitized about child rights as they join.

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Members should agree on club rules such as how often will they meet, for how long, and where.

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Members should keep a record of each meeting.

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Members should be respectful of one another and cooperate so that everyone has the opportunity to learn.

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Active participation by club members

Step 5: Acquire Materials and Attend Preliminary Training on Child Protection Acquire as much information as you can about the areas of child protection and child rights. Many of the activities that you carry out in the club will be based on information you have learned about these areas. Important materials include the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), African Charter, and Ugandan Children’s Act. The Club Patron and the peer leaders (selected from the Executive Committee) can work together to obtain copies of the necessary materials. Other materials might include a registration book, and activity requirements (football, drama costumes, etc.) depending on the activities you will carry out.

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Uganda Children’s Act The Uganda Children’s Act is meant to protect children in Uganda. It is a long document and provides many protections for children including the child and family court, adoption, foster care, and procedures for children in conflict with the law. Below are some of the key points every child should know about the Children’s Act: A child is a person below the age of 18. A child should live with his or her parents or guardians, unless the right authority decides it is in the best interest of the child to move to alternative care. Any person taking care of a child, should provide the following: ■■

Education and guidance

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Medical attention

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Immunizations

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Adequate nutrition

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Clothing

Protection from discrimination, violence, abuse, neglect, harmful customary practices, and harmful employment.

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Shelter

Harmful employment is any work activity that is harmful to the health, education, mental, physical, or moral development of a child. Parents of children with a disability should work with government and service providers to make sure their children receive treatment and have access to education. The role of the Ugandan Government

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Every local government person from the district to the village must safeguard the wellbeing of children.

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Every government council must appoint a Secretary of Children’s Affairs to be responsible for children.

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Examples of assistance that local government can provide include protecting the rights of children to inherit property, assisting children with disabilities to access services, mediating in situations that harm the child, or providing assistance to children who have been abandoned.

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Anyone who sees a child rights violation should report the issue to the local government if it cannot be resolved.

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If possible, enroll two Peer Leaders from the club and the Patron in a training on child rights. The training can be organized by the supporting school or CBO, and will prepeare selected participants to learn about child rights, peer leadership skills and key activities (such as how to run a meeting or a group discussion and how to design activities). The initial training can also serve to reinforce team work and commitment to the goals and objectives of the club and provide additional motivation for participants. If no organization can provide a formal training for your peer leaders and Patrons, work with other teachers or community members who are knowledgable in the area of child protection or running a club and learn from them as you prepare to launch your own club.

Step 6: Inauguration of the CRC Once the CRC has been formed and peer leaders have been trained, members of the club can work with the school administration, CBO, or community to plan an inauguration day. This event can provide an opportunity to formally introduce the club and its goals to the larger school and community and to create awareness on child rights. Invite teachers, parents, students, school administration, CBO staff, local leaders, community members, and other stakeholders to attend this event.

After Your CRC Is Established Once your CRC has been formed and officially recognized by the school and/or community, begin meeting regularly. The Executive Committee and members should work together to develop a plan of activities and a calendar of events for the CRC. For in-school clubs, members should work closely with the school administration to ensure that proposed activities are aligned and can be incorporated into the existing school curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Seek permission in advance from school or community officials for any activity that involves the participation or support of non-club members.

Example of Child Rights Anthem We young children, we need our rights Because we are vulnerable. . ……….. Oh oh parents, caregivers brothers and sisters………………………. x2 We young children ………………………… All of us we need parental love, education, food And clothing, medical care, shelter Is what we need……………………….x2 We young children let us be responsible To fulfill our rights………………. Let us make our parents, caregivers feel happy……………………….x2 Step parents treat us as children Because to morrow we are The leaders of this nation…………… x2 We all children, we need to be strong And we know we can make it If we become responsible about our future United we stand for the better future……x2 Repeat all

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Reporting and Referring Cases As you meet to discuss child rights and child protection, you may discover incidences of child abuse among club members or fellow peers within your school/community. It is an obligation for every CRC member to report any form of abuse identified in the community or at school to the Club Patron. The Patron will then work to obtain the details of the case and report it to the relevant school or community officials (local councils, head teacher, elders, parents, caregiver, probation officers, Child and Family Probation Unit (Police), religious leaders or Community Development Officers). Cases for referral can include either child protection (defilement, neglect, dropout, corporal punishments, domestic violence, child labour, etc.) or health-related issues (malnutrition, severe illness,

etc.). In some cases, club members will have the opportunity to support other children by offering emotional support and friendship. You can also call the Child Helpline at 0800111222 or 0800111333 (soon these numbers will change and you will only need to dial 116) for cases you are not sure how to follow up.

Other Suggested Activities There are many ways to learn about child rights, stand up to violations of child rights, and share information with peers and community members. See the box on the right for some suggested activities that CRCs can choose to do. You may decide that some of these activities will not work for your CRC, and come up with other ideas for activities that will work. Members should be encouraged to contribute ideas for taking action about child rights and protection.

Tips for running CRC meetings:

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Have members sit in a circle to facilitate participation.

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The Patron/ teachers or CBOs present to facilitate should sit outside the circle so they do not assume control of the meeting or hinder the children’s free interaction.

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Peer leaders or the chairperson of the club can preside over the meeting with the supervision of the Club Patron. To avoid monotony and engage members in various ways, the chairperson should encourage other members from the club to participate in meeting proceedings.

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Meetings should be participatory and all members should have a chance to participate in meetings.

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Make sure that a meeting is not a lesson or a lecture. In addition to sharing information, you should always have activities, role plays, games, and other activities that involve members to keep everyone engaged.

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Members should draw up the agenda of the meeting, focusing on specific issues at hand. For example, discussions can include making a work plan for the months ahead, or making decisions on an implementation schedule of planned activities. Don’t try to cover too many topics in one meeting. Instead of talking about general issues, like child protection or child rights, select specific issues, such as one of the themes, like drug and alcohol or a particular exercise from the booklet, and use those to guide your discussion.

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There are several ways you can choose to work on activities. You can work on different activities each week or month (i.e. drama, story-telling, debate, etc.), or you can select a theme to carry-out these activities (i.e. child labour, defilement, etc.), or do a combination. Each club should design activities in a way that suits their context and schedule. Make sure activities are directly related to child protection and that the club stays focused on activities that truly promote child rights and responsibilities. Check in with club members to reflect on which activities are most effective and why. Some of these activities are valuable because they provide an opportunity for each club member to develop and practice life-long skills in leadership, communication, and cooperation that can support them throughout their lives.

Remember these major child protection themes ■■ Child

Labour

■■ Child

Neglect

■■ Defilement ■■ Domestic Violence ■■ Drug

and Alcohol Use

■■ Early

Marriage

■■ Denying

Education…and

■■ Discrimination

Steps to follow while conducting club activities: 1. Decide on the topic

Home Visit Support

2. Select an activity

You and your club members can provide simple support to your fellow peers/families whose lives have been affected by any form of abuse or who are at risk of abuse (this can be anyone, but consider certain risk factors). After consultation with and close oversight by your Patron, you can carry out home visits individually or as a team. During these sessions, you can share child protection issues, such as children’s rights to education, with children and their families. Homes can be identified by caregivers who approach a club member to talk with their child, or by CRC members themselves who identify homes that may be at risk. Remember that it is very important to be sensitive and to keep information about peers and community members confidential, and only report any relevant information to the Patron or peer leaders who can help in case of abuse. Follow the idea of “Do No Harm” (see page 8)”and make sure no action you take will increase the risk to the child. The Patron should follow up on any child protection or health referrals to make sure there is followthrough.

3. Begin with a warm-up activity (a song, dance or prayer) 4. Engage on the selected activity and follow the topic 5. Ensure active/full participation by club members 6. After every activity ask the audience questions and encourage them to answer or ask questions relevant to the topic of discussion. Ask children short questions that are easy to answer. 7. Ask specific questions to guide them to one aspect or to a specific topic of discussion. Young children cannot easily absorb the meaning of an entire picture – so guide them through it, step-by-step.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Example of peer-to-peer support: I stopped school when I was in p. 4. I had befriended a peer group that would advise me to leave school and keep on moving in the community. And because we would keep moving up and down getting food was a problem to us and we would steal people’s sugar cane and maize in order not to die of hunger. I would not respect my elders to me extend that. I would not do any activity at home like washing plates, digging, grazing or even fetching water.

Music, Dance, and Drama Music, dance, and drama are all creative ways that your CRC can share what you have learned about child rights and responsibilities and spread important messages about child protection. Club members can work together during their meetings to write original compositions and to develop dance and drama performances that highlight key child protection issues in your community or that focus on the roles and responsibilities of children, parents,

One day, we stole Alice’s maize and I was arrested and taken to jail. My parents come and rescued me from jail, convincing me to repent and go back to school but I refused. It was at 2:15 pm when Rebecca and shaman from Kanamba pls Child Rights Club visited me at home advising me that I should respect myself to be respected, respect my parents, stop bad peer groups because they can teach me bad behaviors like alcoholism, smoking, and stealing, I have responsibilities at home like doing most of the domestic work at home like fetching water at home, and having a right to Education for my better future. With their advice, I stopped bad peer groups, started doing domestic work and I went back to school. I am now in p. 6. I therefore pray that Child Rights Club should stay to support other children like they have done. – REDROC

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other: A Call to Action

Tips on providing peer-topeer support or checking in with a friend: During a peer-to-peer support session, children may talk about things that upset them, for example: being beaten by a drunken parent, denied food or education, or being sexually abused. As a result they may become sad, angry or scared. The following tips can help you handle the situation in a supportive, sensitive way: ■■

Speak in a calm voice.

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Reassure the child that you will stay with them until they feel better. Make sure they know they are not alone.

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Ask the child to tell you what is making them so upset.

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If the child is in physical danger at home or is being sexually abused, tell the child that you will do everything you can to make sure that he or she is safe, then contact your CRC Patron. Make sure to FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS.

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Once you contacted your CRC Patron, together, you can refer the child to organizations or government services that provide counseling and services.

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IN OUR OWN WORDS Remember that music, dance and drama can educate about child rights and it can also be used to appreciate those in the community who care for children

Song/Poem: Oh God, what a wonderful treasure You gave me a mother who suffered The cost of bringing me into this chaotic world. and community members in the protection of child rights. When reviewing scripts, songs, or dances make sure that the messages that are included are relevant to child protection. Once you have finalized your performances, you can work with the Patron so that they can be included in Visiting Day or Open Day programmes or scheduled during other school or community events. Before making any presentation, club members should seek permission from the relevant authorities. All performances should be followed by group discussions so that sessions are interactive and audience members are able to ask questions. Suggested Materials: Instruments, Costumes, Paper, Pens

Creative Writing (Story-telling, Newsletters, and Slogan Writing) Creative writing is an empowering activity that allows club members to express themselves about child rights issues. It also reflects time-honored cultural traditions of story-telling. During meetings, members can reflect on their ideas about child rights and brainstorm any story ideas they may have. Guided by the Patron, you can write your stories down and share them with other members

On her tender hands there I Rested in my childhood She served me with a lot of hospitality. She taught me how to walk, Smile, sing and dance. As if that wasn’t enough She woke up very early In the morning to see that I am through with my gloom She is my personal lawyer to Dad. When Dad rejects me She can never forsake me She suppers with me She always emerges as a winner In the test of time MOTHER MAY YOU LIVE FOREVER!!!! –––Ngombe Primary School

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Example of Advice Column Clubs can have a regular newsletter to share information about child rights and responsibilities with children in the school. One useful piece for your newsletter is an advice column. See an example below from a KACDOW CRC. Q: A shop keeper wants to give me money, to have sex with me. I told him I am too young to have sex, but he refused to listen. ‘I fear to tell my parents because they will not believe what I tell them. What can I do? – Student A

A: Don’t fear your parents, they are a source of wisdom and knowledge and can help you. Be confident and be open to them. – Student B

A: Talk to your teacher to help you overcome this problem that may ruin your life. – Student C

– Student D

A: That is defilement. Report that man to a trusted adult.

The themes of the stories should ideally be related to the 8 child protection themes. Once several stories have been compiled on the various themes, they can be collected together to form a short story booklet on child rights and child protection and shared with the community members, school administration, students/peers, parents, and others. Short slogans about child protection can also be developed by members. Slogans are a powerful way to convey an important message in a short but memorable way. For example, ‘Stay Strong! Speak up!”. Once developed, slogans can be put on display in visible spaces such as school buildings or community venues. Members can also write about child protection issues for the school newsletter, or start a newsletter if the school does not already have one. Suggested Materials: Paper, Pens, Pencils

A: Don’t accept his money. Your body has more value than money. If you give in for sex, you will get HIV/AIDS, STDs, pregnancy or drop from School.

– Student E

for input and feedback. Stories can be drawn from personal experiences, observations, or can be fictional.

CRC Book Clubs Reading about child rights and responsibilities and child protection can help club members discuss issues as they relate to their every day life and understand issues on a more personal level. Session leaders can use stories from this booklet, the first booklet, Protecting Ourselves and Each Other, other story books about child protection, news articles, or stories they have written themselves to read with the club. Following the reading of a story, the session leader should lead a discussion about the story and help members to reflect about how the child protection issues in the story relate to them and what can be done to prevent and respond to such issues. Book clubs can also lead nicely into creative storytelling and story writing activities.

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Exchange Visits Between Clubs CRCs that are in the same locality (i.e., village, subcounty) can organize a day to visit each other to exchange ideas and learn from one another. Club exchanges can reinforce collaboration amongst peers and can help you to sustain motivation and participation in club activities. Through arranged visits, you can have the opportunity to learn new ideas and share activities. In addition to an exchange of ideas, visits can also be used to engage in organized activities, such as sport competitions or debates, and also to conduct joint activities such as community dialogue sessions. Clear activities should be identified in advance so that visits are efficient and time is used wisely. Any official visit with other clubs should be pre-arranged through the Club Patrons and should first be authorized by the relevant school or local officials. Suggested Materials: Paper, Pens, Pencils or other items depending on activity

Community Sensitization and Awareness Creation CRCs are in a good position to work with communities to raise awareness about relevant local child protection issues. Working closely with the Patron and each other, you can identify those specific child protection issues you feel are affecting your school or local community.You can then work with local

leaders, CBO leaders, and your Patron to organize community dialogue sessions for parents and other community members. During these sessions, the CRC members can explain the goals of the club and open a discussion on child rights and child protection issues affecting their community. Dialogue sessions should be moderated by the Patron or another local leader/adult and should be focused on identifying issues and solutions. In order to be more effective, CRCs in the same area/village can organize and/or participate in these sessions jointly. Dialogue sessions offer you a good way to exchange ideas with your peers, parents, and other community members and can help to clarify everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Some clubs may have access to radio stations that are willing to give airtime for children to share their thoughts and concerns. Radio is a powerful tool for reaching out to the community with child protection messages. Patrons should be responsible in preparing children to present on radio with topics on child rights, responsibilities, and protection to caregivers/parents, public/community and the children. The shows can be presented through speeches, songs, poems, plays, spots etc. There are also many opportunities in school to discuss child rights issues with students, parents, and teachers. Below are some ideas of how you can integrate child rights into your school activities.

Club Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advice According to Rita Kangume(age 13) and Edward Tugonze (age 14), both P7 students and members of the Kyembogo Primary School CRC, the following three qualities make good CRC: 1. Having good leaders 2. Cooperation between club members and with the school 3. Defined activities with enough requirements

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Example of School Events: • Advocate for children /women’s rights through: songs, pictorial, poems • Participation in article writing, essay competitions • Sports to build self-esteem and confidence in girls and women and youth in general • Participate in radio talk shows • Experience sharing • Presentation through dramas, poems, debates and skits • Exhibition • Participation in street processions, celebrations and football matches • Participate in group activities as organized by the host • Talent show • Making posters and banners with messages of support and encouragement to the child. • Making cards, stickers themed around the holiday for exhibition or handing out as part of the local celebrations. • Participate in the talk shows • Participate in a candle light ceremony

School Open Day; Career Day; Parent’s Day; School Assembly • Invite other CRCs to attend the event • CRC members can act as guest speakers • Display art and crafts to expose a broad range of ability and creativity • Participation in games and sports • Talk show between parents and the CRC members • Newsletters showing what’s going on in the school, child protection issues, parenting tips, etc. • Presentations about CRCs using songs, poems, plays, etc. • Debates/Dialogue session • Gallery walk by parents • Talk compounds with messages on child protection • Talent show Holidays: Womens’ day (8th March); The Day of the African Child (16th June); Independence Day (9th October); World Aids Day (1st December)

Mural Painting Another way that you and your club members can create awareness about child rights is through mural drawings in public spaces. Mural drawings are an effective way to display child protection messages in an open space, generate a community dialogue about child rights issues, and it also allows you to exercise imagination and creativity. Mural ideas should be discussed and planned with the Club Patron and the permission of the property owner must be sought in advance. The location of the mural should be selected with care and messages are likely to be more effective in highly visible places such as school building walls, community centers, sidewalks, etc. The materials for the mural,

such as paint, ladders, and paint brushes should be organized through the Patron or community leader. Once completed, the Club can formally showcase the mural to the school and/or community and utilize the occasion to facilitate a group discussion around the theme of the artwork. Suggested Materials: Paper, Pens, Paint, Paint Brushes, Ladder, Chalk

Debating Competition Debates and quiz competitions are both an educational and exciting way to increase awareness about child protection themes. You can research basic facts about child rights and child protection

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Tips for communication during Community Sensitization Sessions: ■■

Get permission ahead of time and give people information about where and when the meeting will be held so that community members can plan to attend.

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Remember that you are examples for other children and youth in the community, and communicate in a kind, non-judgmental way. If someone says something that is incorrect or rude, respond calmly and politely.

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When talking to someone about child rights and protection issues, encourage the respondent by saying things to help them gain self confidence even when things are difficult at home or at school. Say kind words that help respondents to appreciate themselves. Acknowledge the respondent’s strengths and qualities.

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Check to see if your respondents understand you by asking your respondent to repeat what you said. You can also repeat what the respondent said to make sure you heard correctly.

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If a respondent gets upset or acts rudely, try to see his or her point of view. Then, encourage the respondent to consider your point of view. This creates empathy and helps parents or community members try to look at the world through children’s eyes.

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Be sensitive, but do not avoid the hard topics. Speak simply and honestly to respondents about difficult issues like violence, death, divorce or lack of food, defilement, etc.

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Do not try to cover all the topics in one meeting. Focus each meeting on a particular set of issues that is relevant to the people you are meeting. For example, you can use each of the 8 themes as topics for community meetings.

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Have the club secretary take notes and document what people are saying so you have a report in your files.

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Meetings should end with action plans and follow up items that make real change in the community.

using key documents such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a guide, and then organize debating competitions with peers or members from other CRCs. The Club Patron can serve as a coach, guiding you as you study materials, and can work with other clubs to set a date and a venue for the competition. Community members, school officials, and parents should be invited to the competitions to increase participation and the momentum of the event. Suggested Materials: Key Child Rights Materials (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, African Charter, Protecting Ourselves and Each Other), Paper, Pens, Pencils

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Examples of debate topics: Educating a girl child is more important than educating a boy child • Bride price promotes early marriages • Boarding schools are better than day schools • Prevention is better than a cure • Educating a girl child is a waste of money • It is easier to be a boy than a girl • A town school is better than a village school • Corporal punishment should be abolished in schools • Sex education brings down teen pregnancy cases • Single schools are better than mixed schools

Sports and Games Football matches and other sporting events are a great entry point for you to discuss child rights. You can organize matches within the same club and also against other CRCs or other sports groups, and incorporate key messages about child protection into the events. The Club Patron can work with you to organize matches or a set of organized tournaments with other clubs or schools around specific child protection issues. For example, you can organize a football match around the theme of “Child Labour.” During the match, one team could represent the “Child Laborers” and their opponents could represent the “Child Employers.” Before the match, team members can explain the theme and their roles/team names to the spectators. During the matches and at half-time, banners could be displayed with child protection slogans. At the end of the game, both teams could have a discussion with the spectators about how child labor impacts youth in their community, and

the roles and responsibilities of children, parents, and community members. Remember you are using sports to highlight child protection messages. Without incorporating child protection messages into the event, it will just be a normal match, so work with your peers to really think through the techniques and messages you want to use. Suggested Materials: Sporting Equipment, Banners, posters, music, dance and drama equipment, costumes.

Savings and Income Generation Savings and lending are valuable life skills that support you to make good choices. In some clubs, members have mobilized themselves and started a savings and lending scheme. You and your peers can determine how much to save and lend each other and all members are involved in establishing the governing rules and regulations to guide the program. Even very small amounts of money can be used and the Patron can provide you with additional guidance in establishing and running the scheme. Membership should be optional and only apply to those who are interested in joining. Clubs can also engage in income generating activities. For example, you can mobilize individual resources amongst yourselves to obtain materials to use in handicraft making. For example, some CRCs for out-of-school youth have made handicrafts such as baskets, mats, and beadwork and generated income for their group. This is an individual group innovation and activities will vary from group to group. Income generated can help members to manage the costs of their day to day material needs or can be used as an emergency fund to facilitate any member—or other person— in urgent need. Together with your peers, perhaps you can come up with other innovative ways to make a small profit for your club.

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The CRC Patron should be closely involved in the identification and establishment of savings or income generating activities, which have been primarily set up in out-of-school clubs.

Suggested Materials: Cash box, cash book, pens, paper, any items for income generating activities.

IN OU R O W N W O R D S Having a Child Rights Club in my school has made a difference Previously before the introduction of the Child Rights Club in schools, especially Kanamba Primary School, there were a lot of negative attitudes towards the children’s education. On the side of parents, children were always stopped by their parents not to go to school to remain at home, taking care of the babies and others go to garden with their parents. That is killing the right of children to Education. Most parents would say, “We who never went to school are we not living? We are even earning much more than those who went to school.” To make the matter worse most parents would not allow girls to go to school. They would say girls are there to do housework and getting married. Educating a girl would be a wastage of time and resources. For those parents who would allow their children in school, would hardly buy uniforms, book, and pants to their children. They thought since it was universal primary Education everything would be free. Basing on the few points addressed above, I answer the question asked to me that having a Child

Right Club has made a big difference basing to the fact that children who were in the village have come back to school being allowed by their parents through the message sent to them through the Child Right Club members. Because of good dissemination of good information about child’s rights, the above addressed problems have become history. The children have at least had some improvement in the daily work. On addition to that parents have also sensitized through music, dance and drama. A month before, we staged a concert and invited the parents. The major points in the songs were concerning the right and responsibilities of children and girl child education. The parents appreciated the way we presented and were really convinced to support the children in going to school. In the speech I presented at the end of the concert, I told the parents to allow those children they still have at home, to come to school. The children already know where to report any offence committed to them in any way. – Kanamba Child Right Club, Sarusandara S/C Kasese (REDROC)

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Some General Meeting Facilitation Guidelines Many of the activities CRCs will undertake include meetings and/or group discussions with other CRCs, students, and community members. Below are some basic guidelines for leading a peer meeting or any other group discussion: ■■

Before the meeting starts, be sure to have the proper requirements (attendance sheets, paper, and pens) and identify someone to take notes.

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At the start of the meeting, briefly introduce yourself and the purpose of the meeting or group. You should also outline an agenda, including time schedule. This can be simple and short.

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If the group is not too large, participants should be allowed to introduce themselves as well.

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Set some basic ground rules for the meeting (such as raising hands to ask questions, and listening to others).

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During the meeting, you can encourage participation and try to make everyone feel valued. You can also try to keep the discussion focused and on task and clarify any confusing questions.

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As the meeting ends, you can adjourn by restating any important points and discussing the way forward. Also, you can answer any outstanding questions.

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You can end the meeting on a positive note by sharing an encouraging statement about child protection!

How Can You Sustain Your CRC? Once the CRC has been established and is running, think about ways that you can sustain your club and its membership. Some ideas to promote the sustainability of the club include the following:

Patron Involvement Working closely with the Patron is a key aspect in the success and sustainability of the club. The Patron plays an important role in guiding activities through their leadership and experience, linking with the school administration, parents, and community members, and motivating club members. Although activities are primarily initiated by the youth club members, the Patron should be closely involved in

the design and the implementation of the activities selected by the club. This will help you to build a strong foundation for the club and sustain activities even as members leave or change schools.

School Administration or Community Support Another key way you can sustain activities is to ensure that you have the support of the School Administration (for in-school clubs) or community members (for out-of-school clubs). School and community officials are a valuable resource for the clubs and are able to provide physical space for activities and guidance about how club activities can be integrated with curricular and extra-curricular activities or other community events. Meeting with school officials and CBO leaders regularly and inviting them to participate in your activities will help you better plan for and sustain your club.

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S Child right club, child right club, child right club You are so good to me. Your name sounds so sweet in my ears. Child right club, child right club, child right club. You are so good that you have made children Understand their rights and responsibilities. Some people, some parents and guardians Had violated the rights of children Praise be to the new organization (REDROC) which Has brought the children on board and taught their Community about the rights of children and their responsibilities. Rights like: right to food, right to shelter, education, and expression were really violated to mention but a few. Most parents, guardians, and the entire community had participated in child right violation. Any mistake at home would mean denial of food or chased outside the house and they would not allow the child to give out his or her views to why such happened. Child right club, child right club, child right club You have helped the whole community to always observe these rights without discrimination I wish this organization would come to stay because there are some people who are not yet aware of the rights of children even some pupils. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; KCRC,REDROC

Stay Consistent

Collaboration with other CRCs

Even if you do something small every week, it will help keep your CRC going. Make sure that you have regular meetings which involve all club members. Do not wait until you have resources for big activities. You can hold a meeting even if some members are not present. That way, those who come are excited about the work you are doing. Even a simple meeting every week can keep members motivated and engaged as well as bring you together to think about how to keep the club going.

Collaborating with other CRCs is beneficial not only as you carry out your activities, but it can also help to strengthen your club in the long term. Sharing ideas with other youth can help sharpen your activities, allow you to reach a larger target audience, and create bonds with other members that reinforce the goals and the significance of the club. Collaboration with other clubs is a great strategy for gaining and sustaining momentum for your club activities and membership.

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One example of how CRCs can work together is through the formation of a Children’s Council. A Children’s Council can be formed through an alliance of CRCs operating in different districts. Through this alliance, CRCs can work together in sports activities, school events, the writing of child rights bulletins, advocacy on child rights issues, and community sensitization, among other activities. Patrons or CBO leaders can work with club members to establish contacts with other CRCs and to organize meetings to plan joint activities.

Income Generating Activities Integrating income generating activities (IGAs) into your club activities can motivate members to participate in the club and can empower them to facilitate their own meetings. A portion of the income generated by club members can be used to purchase items needed for CRC activities and can enable the club to remain active. For example, beads for jewelry and for wire for baskets.

Tips for leading discussions after activities: After leading activities with the CRC, other children, or community members, you have an opportunity to open dialogue about child rights issues. Below are some ideas for questions that can lead to further thought and understanding about child protection and child rights.

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Observation questions: What do you see? What have you heard? What does this mean? How do you interpret it? Follow up with specific short questions to elicit further information. For example, looking at a mural or after a play, ask what a particular person is thinking, saying or doing: What is that girl doing? What is that boy doing? What is the girl saying to the boy? What is that boy/girl thinking?

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Feelings questions: Ask about the feelings of the people in the activity. For example: What is that child feeling? What is that adult feeling? For young children, you may have to demonstrate or act out the different feelings. Show a happy, sad, angry and scared face to make it easier for the children to identify the right feeling.

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Connection questions: Focus on children’s or adults’ own experiences of the situation in the activity - Do you know children like this? Did this ever happen to you? Does this happen in your home or community? What would have happened if….?

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Action questions: What can be done about this situation? Who can help? What could make this better? What might make the situation worse? If you need to make these questions simpler, ask yes/no questions at first to get club members talking. For example: Could your mother help? Could your father help? Can any of your friends help? Can any leader in your community help?

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IN OU R O W N W O R D S I am a parent. I was very unhappy when my child Joy left schooling. I was completely annoyed because of my poverty. To be in poverty is bad. Its two years since my child stopped schooling. She was unhappy too because she was preparing to become a nurse. After she had decided she thought of what to do at her age of 15. She wanted some things as a girl since she was not schooling for six months. Some boys wanted to use her but she kept to herself not listening to them. She was feared to get pregnant since we are poor.

One day she decided to go to work as a house girl. She started working. After 2 months a wife started quarreling with a husband that a man loves a house girl. The girl was forced to go back home. Therefore she joined a group which is at our village called Kiboota Bukiika Child Rights Club. The club teaches how to make and sell soup, to do carpentry and other things. Now my daughter can get little money to solve her problems. Me as a parent I think that club too even it has changed the way how my daughter behaves. God bless this club. Thank you. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Parent of a CRC Member

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The Bantwana Initiative helps children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS access the full range of support and comprehensive care they need to grow into healthy adults. Bantwana partners with schools, government ministries, NGOs, and community based organizations to find sustainable local solutions in caring for the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orphaned and most vulnerable children.

Bantwana is a joint initiative of World Education, Inc. and John Snow, Inc.

Poem on Childrens Rights Teacher, Parents, Guardians It’s time to protect our children. It’s time to protect orphans. It’s time to protect the rights of all children. Parents and Guardians, let’s take all children to school; even if they are orphans give them food Parents and Guardians, give your children medical care if they are sick. Give children freedom to speak and treat all children equally at home. Teachers, you teach different pupils at school: the rich, the poor the sick and the disabled. Do not discriminate against them in class. Do not give them corporal punishments. Treat them as your own children. Give them love and care like their parents. Children, respect your parents, teachers and guardians. Listen to your parents, guardians and teachers. Help your parents and teachers so they can help you too. And together we can have children to grow healthy and responsible citizens of this nation. by Ndgobangira Sakiinab, English Teacher, KYEFA