PROGRAMME ISSUES
Advocacy and Child Rights
Day of the African Child Commemoration
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs (MSWGCA), in collaboration with UNICEF, addressed the press on activities marking the commemoration of the Day of the African Child (DAC). Speaking to newspeople, the Minister of MSWGCA, Shirley Gbujama, said this year's activities will be commemorated under the theme "Basic Quality Education for All", along the same lines as the "Global Movement for Children - Sierra Leone Partnership". She explained that this year's theme is an appeal to all stakeholders to ensure that every child has access to quality basic education. The Minister underscored the government's commitment to advance the education of children at an early age and to speed up the establishment of the Commission for War Affected Children. Mrs. Gbujama also pointed out that the rehabilitation of children recently released by the RUF is a government priority.
UNICEF's Keith Wright called on all stakeholders to play their respective roles in providing children access to quality basic education. He announced that this year's commemoration of DAC will culminate with the administration of Vitamin A, targeting over 1,000,000 children.
Other speakers included the Co-ordinator of the "Global Movement for Children - Sierra Leone Partnership" and the Director General of Education. Also speaking at the occasion was the President of the Children's Forum, 16-year-old Chernoh Bah, who called on the government to acknowledge the rights of children as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and stem the proliferation of agencies masquerading as advocates for children.
Child Protection
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) released another 59 child ex- combatants (55 boys and 4 girls) on 9 June in Kailahun. The total number of child ex-combatants released by RUF since May has now risen to 932. In addition, 153 children associated with the Civil Defence Force (CDF) were demobilised and reunified with their families in various regions. Meanwhile, child protection agencies, with assistance from UNICEF, have launched a mass tracing of children earlier released in northern Sierra Leone.
Mass tracings were held last week in the displaced camps to verify whether the families of children recently transferred to the Western Area from the North are in Freetown, before the children are transferred to their areas of origin. So far six family members have been identified, two of whom will provide further information on the parents. Over thirty tracing requests were also registered.
The Community Education Investment Programme (CEIP) commenced in May with partners NRC, IRC and COOPI. UNICEF-supplied education materials were distributed by the partners to 56 schools in which 177 verified child ex-combatants are enrolled in Eastern and Southern Provinces. The programme is intended to facilitate reintegration and minimise stigmatisation for ex-combatants by assisting communities as a whole. For each enrolled child ex-combatant, the school can choose a kit designed to assist 200 children for one year. The school has 3 options: a kit of learning materials, a kit of teaching materials or a kit of recreational equipment.
UNICEF, in collaboration with the National Forum of Human Rights (a national human rights umbrella organisation) and the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), held a three-day technical meeting last week in Freetown to examine the participation and protection of children in the upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for Sierra Leone. A total of 33 national and 7 international experts participated in this process. The sessions were divided into three working groups. The experts included anthropologists, child psychologists, child rights lawyers, peace building experts, customary law officers, school counsellors, re-integration experts, religious leaders and children themselves.
Before the meeting, a two-day orientation was held for the international experts. Meetings were held with child protection agencies, human rights organisations, the Children's Forum. A visit was also organised to an interim care centre, where the experts seized the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues with children directly affected by the conflict. Final recommendations will be presented to the Government of Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile there was a brainstorming session on The Role of Women in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Special Court (SC), organised by the International Human Rights Law Group. Among the participants were representatives of the Programme and General Counsel, the International Human Rights Law Group, the former South African Truth Commission and the International Centre for Transitional Justice. Other participants were representatives of various women groups and local and international agencies.
Health and Nutrition
UNICEF-supported training of Public Health Units (PHU) staff in the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) is currently underway in the Pujehun District. The four-day training involves 30 participants from PHUs within Pujehun district. The training is aimed at updating knowledge and skills of vaccinators. The training includes planning, management of the cold chain, organization of immunization sessions, injection safety and immunization techniques.
UNICEF supported a training of trainers of 35 staff of Mother and Child Health Care (MCH) in Bo under Anaemia Prevention and Control Project (APCP). These staff have been sensitized to the dangers of anaemia in pregnant and lactating women and to their role and responsibility in the prevention and control of anaemia. After the training they are expected to identify Care Promoters in the catchment area of their facilities and train them on the distribution of anti-anaemia drugs at the community level.
UNICEF is exploring the possibility of opening a clinic in the town of Kailahun for the provision of basic health services, including EPI services. The issue has been discussed with the District Medical Officer of Kailahun.
Water and Environmental Sanitation
UNICEF continues to supply potable water to the Jui Refugee Reception Centre, the Trade Centre and the National Workshop in Freetown.
UNICEF supported six new wells completed by a contractor for various communities in the Mile 91 township. These have been fitted with hand pumps and are now operational. With this development, access to potable water has been improved in the town. Meanwhile, the non-governmental organization Caritas Makeni, with support from UNICEF, is replacing 20 four-seat pit latrines for the Transit camp at Mile 91 .
Education
UNICEF participated in a joint educational assessment mission to Makeni and its environs. The team was comprised of the Deputy Director of Education for the northern region of the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sports (MYES), school inspectors and supervisors, as well as officials of Caritas Makeni. The objective was to assess educational activities currently underway in the area and to identify gaps. The MYES also used the opportunity to assess the physical state of the offices and quarters, which were vandalised during rebel occupation. It was observed that large numbers of people are now returning to Makeni, particularly from Mile 91 and Freetown.
Preliminary findings indicated that 25 formal and 10 non-formal schools with untrained and unqualified teachers have now started functioning in the areas visited. It was also observed that parents are willing to contribute a levy in kind (such as cup of rice) as remuneration for non-formal school facilitators, rather than pay the fees charged by the formal schools. This initiative has doubled the enrolment of children in non-formal schools as against formal schools. There is a serious shortage of teaching/learning materials. The materials recently supplied by UNICEF to the non-formal schools turned out to be inadequate due to the number of children.
For more information, visit the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org