By Cheryl Alafia Thomas
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has completed a two-week child protection training for security personnel and civilians in Sierra Leone.
Over 40 participants, drawn from the police and military, as well as lawyers and social workers, benefited from the training.
The Ghana Ministry of Defence (MoD) established the KAIPTC in 1998 and commissioned it in 2004, with the purpose of building upon and sharing Ghana’s five decades of internationally acclaimed experience and competence in peacekeeping operations with other fellow member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the rest of Africa.
Speaking on the crux of child protection on the continent, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, admonished that everyone, including state actors, should pragmatically ensure protection from abuse for all children, with special reference to children with tumultuous upbringing, bearing in mind that childhood is the gateway to adulthood. These forms of abuse, according to him, range from neglect to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
Reiterating the need for collective effort on the subject, Major General Gyane highlighted the concept of marginalization – preventing children from speaking up freely – which he said is predominant among Africans and had the tendency to scare child victims from freely speaking up when they are being abused. Mr Richard noted that it’s crucial for one to have potential in identifying children who are suffering abuse.
On the training, Richard revealed that the course provided analytical skills for promoting and understanding the concept of child protection, with an objective to produce a rigid enforcement of child protection mandates.
According to the Commandant, over 250 million children under the age of 5 years are not reaching their full potential in low and middle income countries, including Sierra Leone, which he said is the result of several bottlenecks.
Deputy Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (DIGP), Aiah Edward Samadia,
encouraged the participants to maximise the use of the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to improve on their service delivery.
DIG Samadia reassured the audience of the Sierra Leone Police’s commitment to sustainable child protection, citing the establishment of the Family Support Unit across the country as demonstration of this.
In her reflection on the course, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Dolsy Adama Fefegula affirmed the timeliness of the training, coming at a time of a rise in cases of child abuse and trafficking in the country.
The participants received lectures on reporting and response mechanisms, types of abuse and the legal framework. These, said CSP Fefegula, have retooled their skills and preparation for their varied assignments.
The event was climaxed with the formation of KAIPTC Sierra Leone Alumni chapter after an electioneering process that saw Assistant Commissioner of Police John Fayia Tunde emerged President and Susan Koker from the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre elected Vice President.
