Soweto Children Call for their Protection

South Africa will be commemorating the Child Protection Week from 23-29 May 2012 under the theme ‘Working Together to Protect Children.’ As part of the week’s activities, the Orlando East Créches Forum together with World Vision and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund will be hosting an event in Orlando East, Soweto, that will be highlighting the plight of children in the area. With rapidly increasing cases of the little ones increasingly becoming the targets of sexual violence, the two day event will among other things:

• Raise awareness of the rising abuse and neglect statistics and call to action and to speak out on issues negatively affecting children in their community;
• Present a call to action for government and other abuse;
• Advocate for children’s rights, educate and mobilise families and communities about their responsibility towards the protection and care of children;
• Mobilise stakeholders to reduce incidents of child abuse, through awareness campaigns;
• Inform and educate the public on the comprehensive basket of services needed by children in their emotional, cognitive and physical development;
• Call on communities to hold duty bearers accountable for children’s rights.

You are invited to join the partners from 1-2 June 2012. The two-day event will kick-off on International Children’s Day on 1 June 2012, with over 600 children from early childhood development (ECD) Orlando Rugby Ground to the Orlando Police Station, to hand over a memorandum. The children’s memorandum to the police will include:

• A call to SAPS to prevent and manage child abuse;
• Ensure that cases of child abuse, neglect and exploitation are reported to a police station and designated social workers;
• Initiate the investigation of cases and collection of evidence;
• Establish whether the perpetrator is known and the possibilities of immediate danger or threat to the child;
• Ensure that the best protection is provided to the child, he/she is dealt with sensitively, secondary traumatisation is avoided and the best interest of the child is taken into account.

On 2 June 2012, over 500 children from the ages 6-18 years will be handing over a pledge to a local councillor. The pledge will call for the protection of children by the Soweto community. The event will be graced by speakers from the Gauteng Police Cluster Commissioner, SAPS, National Department of Social Development including the Gauteng Police Cluster and MEC for Safety.

Date: 1-2 June 2012
Time: 09h00 - 14h30
Venue: Orlando Rugby Grounds, Orlando, Soweto

For more information contact:

Olwetu Mafutha
World Vision Communications
Tel: 011 671 1362
Mobile: 076 053 3904
E-mail: olwetu_mafutha@wiv.org

Bridget Masango
Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
Tel: 011 274 5600
Mobile: 072 714 2404

Dimakatso Maleka
Orlando East Creches Forum
Tel: 011 935 3093
Mobile: 072 269 3173

For more about World Vision, refer to www.wvi.org.

To view other NGO press releases, refer to www.ngopulse.org/group/home-page/pressreleases.