Salima Police, SDA Church Partner to Fight Child Abuse

SALIMA, Malawi — In an effort to combat child abuse in Salima District, the Victim Support Unit at Salima Police Station has partnered with the Salima Seventh Day Adventist Church Youth Department to raise awareness about child protection laws, writes Comfort Bulangete.

Speaking at an awareness workshop on May 14, 2023, at Salima Seventh Day Adventist Church, Sub Inspector Rita Lazalo from Salima Police Station said that with the rising cases of child abuse in the country, it was important to sensitize youths about child protection laws.

“We are doing this so that the leaders should understand how they can take care of their youths as they engage them in different activities at church so that their rights are not being violated. The training will enable the youth leaders to protect the youth from any form of violation,” said Lazalo.

Dorroca Kassim, one of the youths who attended the meeting, said she had been enlightened about child rights violations and that child rights have a deeper meaning.

She cited emotional abuse as one form of child abuse that negatively affects children’s concentration in school and church activities.

Innocent Kamba, a Form 4 student at Nsalura Community Day Secondary School and one of the attendees expressed his gratitude to Salima SDA Church for organizing the workshop.

“This will help us to voice out our feelings once our rights have been violated, even by our parents,” he said.