The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sierra Leone has provided the Sierra Leone government with 32 brand new motorbikes to boost the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bikes were handed to the Ministry of Social Welfare which is expected to use them to provide Psychosocial Support Services as part of the response effort, according to news release from the UN children’s agency.
It said the motorbikes will be dispatched to Social Workers in all the 16 districts of the country to support in their daily assignments such as rapid case management for survivors of violence and abuse and tracing of vulnerable children.
“COVID 19 is real, we must ensure that our vulnerable families including women, children, the disabled and elderly are well protected during this pandemic,” Bindu Dassama, Minister of Social welfare, was quoted saying.
According to Unicef, the handover of the motorbikes is timely as the pandemic is presenting yet another threat to the protection and wellbeing of children. It notes that already 2 out of 10 adolescent girls in the country get pregnant before they turn 19, while 87% of children aged one to 14 years have experienced some form of violent discipline.
The UN agency said the provision of the vehicles is part of its effort to strengthen its work with the Ministry of Social Welfare to ensure that children, women and vulnerable groups are protected against the increased risks of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect during the pandemic.
“As we continue working with Government and our partners to stop the further transmission of the virus, it is also our responsibility to keep children and their families safe from the secondary impact of the pandemic. Monitoring and supporting the protection of children, women and their families is therefore a key component of our current work,” said Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, UNICEF Representative.
The statement said after the Covid-19 pandemic, the motorbikes would be used at district levels for various prevention and response services. This includes strengthening the social welfare workforce, establishing and supporting prevention and response services, strengthening coordination between Government and Civil Society Organisations and linking community redress mechanisms with the formal justice systems.
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