Eye of the child has introduced an initiative to educate parents and caregivers on the principles of positive discipline and effective parenting strategies in a bid to end cases of torture and child abuse.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency Mana in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Eye of the Child, Asiyatu James said they would be working with the security agencies and social Welfare services in the country to educate the public.
“Through workshops, seminars and community outreach programmes, the Eye of the Child and the Police will provide practical guidance on positive discipline techniques.
The initiative is our direct response to the increasing cases of torture, child abuse, serious harm on children in conflict with the law by parents, communities and the public,” she said.
James added that they decided to come up with the initiative because of recent incidents which includes burning of children hands and hanging them to a tree.
“By joining forces with law enforcement, the initiative seeks to foster a supportive environment where families can thrive through understanding and respect” she lamented.
Coordinator for Community Policing at Kanengo Police Station, Inspector, Graciano Chilombo said at the station they have Child Protection and Youth department whereby they deal with issues to do with children so with the coming up of this initiative would add more weight to sensitize the communities.
“They are a lot of cases about children which needs to be addressed in the communities, so we are working with chiefs to ensure that parents do not treat their children badly,” he said.
The initiative encourages all parents and caregivers to participate actively in these educational opportunities.