By Nasratu Kargbo & Ruth Sesay
As Sierra Leone observes International Children’s Day, the Deputy Commissioner at the National Children’s Commission (NCC) Fabundeh Ansumana has called on the government and other stakeholders to ensure that polices, structures and services are put in place to protect the country’s children.
Speaking to Politico on the 18th November 2022, Ansumana said this year’s theme is titled “Better tomorrow for the children”, which he said can only be achieved when better policy frameworks are established.
Highlighting some of the issues to be addressed in the policy, he said the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs has been trying to ensure that children are taken off the streets. He explained they their commission has been advocating that the policy on street children should capture those moving from place to place, trafficked kids and those migrating.
He said, “the more children on the street, the more the future will bleak for them”.
Ansumana noted that one of their concerns as a Commission is the Child Rights Act which is under review, which says the commission should be reporting to the ministry. He explained that their mandate as a commission is to monitor all institutions that are engaged in dealing with childrens’ affairs, and questioned the idea of them reporting to an institution they ought to monitor in the first place.
He suggested they should report to the President or Vice President.
Highlighting some of the structures that needed improvements, he mentioned the one stop centre, forensic lab, better juvenile homes, and referral pathway amongst others, explaining that the one stop centre is not well- equipped.
On the juvenile justice system, Ansumana explained that in the Sexual Offences Act when a child commits a sexual offence, they are punished like an adult. “It should not be that way, a child’s punishment should not be the same as an adult’s, that specific clause in the law is unfriendly for children”, he pointed out.
He further explained of a scenario where a sixteen year old girl has a sexual intercourse with a 12 year old boy, whether or not she initiated the act, the law punishes the one who penetrated ( that is the boy) just like an adult. He noted that the girl is not punished, and therefore asked that the law be clarified.
Ansumana mentioned that the juvenile court system should be accessed across the country and the Approved Schools for child offenders be provided with recreational facilities. He said the kids are only punished and not corrected for their acts.
The deputy commissioner said one of the challenges they face is child marriage, even though the Child Right Act is set to repeal the Customary Law. He stressed that they are still campaigning because the customary law does not define who a child is and that they mostly give the girl -child to marriage when she has a full breast.
Speaking on health, Ansumana said that survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) still face challenges in accessing health services.
He commended the government for the Free Quality Education (FQE), explaining that for the first time, children are enjoying their right to education. “For the first time the right of child to education is not just rhetoric, it is real”, he said.
He appealed to the government to ensure that government schools or government- assisted schools are located in towns and villages in order for children in those areas to enjoy their right to education.
He however, highlighted few challenges in the educational front such as parental compliance to the FQE amongst others.
He also spoke on challenges faced by disabled children, stating that some schools do not have a disabled- friendly environment, and that some visually impaired pupils struggle because they do not have Braille to make things simple for them.
He emphasized that they want to ensure that children to take the lead in their campaigns.
Head Teacher for the Infant Section at St. John Primary School Jeneba Kuyateh called on government to extend their school feeding programme to Freetown. She said: “These children are hungry and if they are hungry they cannot pay attention in class”.
She asked that the government steps in by ensuring that the school children are fed, in order for them to be able to focus and learn.
Highlighting some of the challenges, Madam Kyuateh said that most parents and guardian do not good take care of their children, saying only 40% take proper care of their children.
She explained that most of them refuse to buy books, claiming that the government had promised to take care of the children’s stationeries.
She explained that they give books and pencils to the children and that sometimes NGOs assist them with some items.
She acknowledged that the government has been giving subsidies to run the schools, and said it is the duty of parents to step up by doing the needful. She also stated that many of the children that are not well taken care of are wards, who live with their guardians.
Children’s Day is celebrated 20th November every year, and since this year’s anniversary fell on a Sunday yesterday, celebrations have been shifted today Monday.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (21/11/22)
