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CALL FREE OF CHARGE 116 Childline Zimbabwe News June 2010 Issue No.1 4. Mbare Netball Complex, Mbare, Harare DROP-IN-CENTRES 5. Glen View1 Community Centre, Glen View, Harare 1.31 Frank Johnson Avenue, Eastlea, Harare 6. Dzivarasekwa Community Centre, FREEPOST Tel/Fax: +263-4-796741/793715/252000 Dzivarasekwa P O BOX CY1400,CAUSEWAY , Harare Email: [email protected] HARARE 2.34A Samuel Parirenyatwa Street, Btwn 1 st &2 nd Ave, Bulawayo Tel/ Fax 09-880052/888891,09-64427 Email: [email protected] FREEPOST P O BOX 1795 3.MASO Community Centre, Mambo BULAWAYO Rd, Mkoba 12, Gweru Tel 054253488 to reach a greater number of vulnerable FREE PUBLICATION, kind donation by Printworks. children in the quickest time possible. The volunteers conduct initial home visits within From the Director’s desk the communities they are residents within to Childline Zimbabwe started 2010 as we ended verify whether the referral of a child being 2009, with busy schedules of responding to harmed is in fact true. These “community reports of children being abused, training volunteers” strengthen the existing safety nets telephone helpline counsellors, & raising for children by providing assistance to the awareness in the community of our services, established child protection structures in their children’s rights & the law within Zimbabwe to communities. For example, they report cases of protect children from being abused & suffering abuse to the Department of Social Welfare harm. Officer & Victim Friendly Unit Police Officers in their community. They work together with the School Head Teachers, Education Officers, the Health workers, clinics, etc in their communities providing counselling & monitoring the child’s progress to ensure the child is safe from further harm. Their actions are guided by the national multi-sectoral referral protocol, linking the child with the relevant service & ensuring the child’s needs are met so as to limit the impact of the abuse & harm caused to the child. The recruitment & training of community volunteers directly complements the work of the well-established telephone helpline & free postal service operating in Zimbabwe. In some areas the community volunteers have established “Drop- Helpline Volunteers answering cries for help from children 24hours a day, 365 days of the year. in Centres” where children & community members can access free counselling, advice & Newly recruited volunteers resident in guidance relating to matters of child abuse, Bulawayo completed 2 weeks of training to neglect & exploitation. Given this developing prepare them for their role in assisting initiative we are learning lessons everyday as to Childline to follow-up in their communities on the best practice of these community-based referrals received via Childline’s toll-free Drop-in Centres. helpline. Childline Zimbabwe has been piloting Childline Zimbabwe continues to be the elected a new method of programming, whereby representative for the African Region on the volunteers are recruited, screened & trained in Principles, Standards & Practices Taskforce of basic counselling skills. These volunteers are Childline Helplines International, the then responsible for directly assisting the international membership body of all child qualified Social Workers employed by Childline helplines operating in the world. Therefore, we have directly contributed to the establishment 1 of a new set of minimum standards. These This year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair standards provide a guide towards which took place from 20 th – 24 th April 2010 in Childline Zimbabwe is working towards, if we Bulawayo. are not already fulfilling & meeting the minimum standards of operations. A Cry For Help The Helpline received a call at 6am on Thursday morning from a concerned neighbour who reported that a baby girl was being beaten with an electric cord on her back by her uncle. The neighbour explained that the child’s parents have passed away & the extended family are now caring for 18-month-old Mary. The volunteer took as much information as possible & agreed to follow-up. Childline made contact with the Victim Friendly Unit police officer in the area, & they completed a home visit together. The Police completed their investigations, whilst Childline focused on protecting the child. Childline explored the possibility of Mary being cared for Posed for a photo moment after the 116 launch from left, by other more suitable extended family Mrs Mary Nando (Byo Management Committee member) members. However, this was not possible. MICT Permanent Secretary Mr Kundishona, TOAZ Chairman Childline then completed a home visit with the Mr Reward Kangayi, Mrs Ruth Gomiwa (Byo Management Department of Social Welfare officer, who Committee Chairperson),Mrs Margaret Madonko (Bulawayo Branch Co-ordinator), Ashley, our Child Advocate, Hon agreed to Mary being removed to a place of Deputy Minister Tracy Mutinhiri, Mr Sebastian ((Byo safety, with a concerned & caring neighbour, Management Committee member) & Patience Chiyangwa, who the Department approved as a foster Childline PR & Fundraising Officer. In Childline t-shirts are carer. our star performers of the day from SOS Children’s Villages. Childline’s work was not complete. We linked the foster carer with Plan International who Exhibiting at the ZITF provides Childline with support Mary with food, & will assist with an opportunity to reach children out of school school fees when the time comes. We linked as well as raise awareness of children rights & Mary & her carer with Medicine Sans Frontier Childline’s counselling services to a wide range /Doctors without Borders who provide Mary of community members across social & with necessary HIV treatment, given she is an economic barriers. It also provides a AIDS orphan. networking opportunity with potential Lastly, Childline continues to complete follow- corporate sponsors & private individual donors. up home visits offering Mary’s carer advice & This year Childline had the pleasure of support, monitoring that Mary is now safe & attending the Tel*One cocktail party & the she receives the care she deserves. Ministry of Labour Public Service & Social Welfare staff party. However, the major social event of ZITF was our own launch of the 116 regional short code in Matebeleland on 22 nd April 2010. Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labour & Social Services, Hon Dr Tracy Mutinhiri was the Guest of Honour who delivered a speech commending Childline’s work in partnership with her ministry. The Ministry of Information Communications & Technology (ICT) was represented by Permanent Secretary Mr Kundishona. Mr Reward Kangayi also delivered a speech as Chairman of the Telecommunications Operators Association of Zimbabwe (TOAZ). The Chairperson of Bulawayo Management Committee, Mrs Ruth Gomiwa & Branch Co-ordinator Mrs Margaret Madonko delivered keynote speeches. Our star of the evening was Ashley who delivered the Childline Bulawayo Branch Launches the 116 Child Advocate’s speech in the absence of Helpline in Matabeleland Region during ZITF Axcill Jefferies & the late Sam Mtukudzi, our 2 Ambassadors of Goodwill. Ashley now over games, disseminate information on their rights eighteen years old is a survivor of child abuse. & access to reporting mechanisms. Athletes He reiterated on how Childline services had included those hard of hearing, visually empowered him. How he had been assisted in impaired, amputees, mentally & physically coping with the trauma of dealing with abuse. challenged boys, girls, men & women. Experts It was overwhelming listening to this young such as sign language interpreters facilitated man recount the benefits of his encounter with communication with the athletes. The Sports & Childline. Ashley was accompanied by his dad Recreation Commission (SRC), Childline & who gave moral support & confirmed his partners including Mercy Corps & Red Cross approval of his son’s bold actions & statement. were members of the Edutainment Committee As this copy goes to press Ashley’s court case at the games. The athletes impressed the has been finalised, the perpetrator has been Childline staff with their knowledge of issues to sentence & Ashley is a regular visitor to our do with child abuse. Where possible & office in Bulawayo, updating us on his progress appropriate we engaged the athletes by giving & accessing advice & support when he needs it. them a blank paper to make drawings on of Thank you to the children from SOS Children’s their feelings on child abuse as well as Villages who provided entertainment at the anything they felt like communicating to us. launch. This was followed by discussions with individuals on their drawings. Athletes then received chocolate bars for their efforts courtesy of Crystal Candy which really sweetened up the exercise!!! Children came to learn more about our services at our ZITF stand & were lucky to walk away dressed in a Childline t- shirt & with informative child-friendly sticker gifts Our ZITF stand was as busy as usual with many children, their family members & individuals Thank you Crystal Candy for the kind donation of from the private sector requesting information chocolates!! & advice from our counsellors. Twenty–one (21) reports of abuse were received at the stand. In the evenings, musical entertainment was Childline provided counselling to those provided on a special outdoor stage to wind up reporting the abuse, & committed to make a the day. Childline joined in the festivities with follow-up home visit to ensure the safety &