Rainbow Centres are out to stop rape using campaign strategies such as a sponsored walk planned for Saturday 31 May.
Entitled “STOP RAPE NOW”, the walk is aimed at raising funds and promoting awareness around their activities in Sierra Leone.
“We believe there is an increase in these types of incidents within our communities and we want to bring to the attention of the public the negative impact this practice has on our population,” the organisation’s executive director said in a press statement.
Nyamacoro Sarata Sillah added that the Rainbow Centres were sexual assault referral centres operating from government hospital premises, especially in Freetown, Kenema and Kono in the eastern province.
Since 2003 when they started operation, the centres continue to support women, girls and other vulnerable groups in communities that have recorded high incidents of sexual assault, including rape.
The statement also said that: “In 2013 the Rainbow Centres were able to care for 1,898 women and girls who had suffered a sexual assault incident,” adding that they offered free services like medical examination and treatment for illness and injury caused by assault, counselling as well as help victims cope with emotional and psychological effects of rape, help in reporting the incident to the police and provide information on the legal system if a person wanted to take their case to court.
The walk will start at 8am from the Monument around the Cotton Tree in the centre of Freetown and end at Family Kingdom at Lumley Beach Road with each participant paying Le 40,000 in return for a T-shirt and a ribbon.
(C) Politico 22/05/14
