OUR WORK – Solving the problem through Community Enlightenment Outreaches and Campaigns

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October 15, 2019

Aside rescue and rehabilitating children through provision of good healthcare, nutrition, education, shelter and protection which is our immediate means of saving the lives of children accused of witchcraft and subsequently abandoned, Community based awareness and enlightenment campaigns and programmes remains at the top of our priorities.

This aspect of our programmes is aimed at solving the problem (Child witch branding and stigmatization) from the root (ignorance and lack of proper education) which is more prevalent in the rural communities. To carry out these campaigns, we map out and visit rural communities with high prevalent rates of child witch branding and stigmatization, to interact with the locals on the issue.

Through these visits, we meet with the local chiefs, youth and elderly groups, both men and women, religious and traditional groups; were we discuss and interact on every related issues as they concern witch branding and stigmatization of children and other forms of child abuse. These campaigns also create the grounds for collaboration with some members of the communities who share with our belief against child witch stigmatization. These individuals serve as our volunteers in the communities who call our attention to new case of child abandonment. Its interesting to note that not all members of these communities believe in this superstition.

our team interacting and sharing contacts with some youths of the community during one of our outreaches

Surprisingly and differently, these campaigns are not always as safe and beautiful is sounds. our team sometime face strong opposition from some communities who deeply believe in this superstition. They believe the children have killed many and have also caused so much hardship and harm in the communities and for these reasons, their lives shouldn’t be spared. Hence, they oppose us from rescuing the children.

On some occasion, we embark on these visits with some of our children who were once rescues in those communities. Seeing these children now healthy and educated do gives some persons more reasons not to abuse their children, though others still find it hard to believe that its real that the children are no longer witches as they had believed they were.

Over the years, our community awareness creation and enlightenment campaigns have contributed to impacting the rate at which children are branded, stigmatized and abandoned. Despite still in existence, we believe consistency in these programme will create even greater positive and sustaining impact and we could have a society free of child witch stigmatization and other forms of abuse.