By Office of Communications
There was a training on safeguarding the children and vulnerable adults yesterday on 08th March 2023 at the offices of the diocese of Mangochi, which was organized by the Catholic Development Commission of Malawi (CADECOM) of this diocese. This training was participated by all staff members of the offices of the diocese of Mangochi. The aim of this training was to sensitize them about the abuses which take place to different people and to help them understand their role to prevent such practices from continuing taking place.
Speaking to the participants of this training, Tapiwa Machinjiri Gama as a facilitator, said that abuses of different kinds take place to people. For example, in some areas, children are neglected by their relatives; some students are physically or emotionally abused by their teachers in schools in exchange of some favors; some politicians deny to issue some handouts to particular individuals who belong to a certain opposition party; old people are treated harshly by their relatives and other people in the societies because of being suspected of witchcraft. Even in some offices, other bosses are the victims of some abuses perpetrated by their employees. As such, people have to be aware of the abuses and react appropriately in order to curb the situation.
Mr. Eustus Kuzemba, the Diocesan Safeguarding and Child Protection Trainer who was also one of the facilitators encouraged that when people witness some kind of abuses taking place, they should not remain quite, but to use the right channel of handling the situation, so called the focal person(s) who is (are) also expected to show some professionalism when dealing with this situation.
Remarking on this training, Fr. Steven Namame, the Social Development Director of the diocese of Mangochi, said the training was essential to the workers in different commissions in this diocese because it had helped them to know their role in their place of work and also protect the children and the vulnerable adults from all sorts of abuse taking place in the parishes, schools and hospitals. It had also helped them to know and respect the human rights of others. He finally advised the employers to use well their powers by not infringing others.
