Ending violence against children in Freetown

In our push to improve on child protection system in the country, in April we launched the Door-to-Door project: with the aim to ensuring that children in marginalised urban areas in Freetown will be increasingly protected from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect within a strong children protection system. Funded by Save the Children Denmark, funds were raised through a media appeal and the children who bravely shared their stoires are now involved in the project to support their peers to overcome similar challenges through life-skills trainings and other child-led activities. "The rationale behind the launch of the project with the communities is for them to understand what do we want to do in the [communitie] with their collaboration and build their ownership”, says Konday Marah, Child Protection Officer in Freetown. 

Through the project we hope to strengthen formal and informal Child Protection Systems including Gender Based Violence focal persons, Community Mobilizers, Community Welfare Committees and Community Health Workers for them to operate as an effective referral network when cases of violence, abuse and exploitation against children are reported to them. The project will also support Children’s Clubs, the Freetown City Council and the Ministry of Social welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs who will monitor the caseload of GBV child survivors and ensure coordinated responses.  By the end of 2014, we want to see child survivors using response interventions delivered or supported by Save the Children as a result of well coordinated child protection services. For more information contact Silvia Pina.