KAMPALA – Compassion International Uganda has decried the act of some parents and guardians who accept gifts from child rights abusers and seal off the cases without any justice for the victim.
“In Uganda today, many child abuse cases are reported but we get many roadblocks as we try to seek justice for the children. In some communities, for example, they don’t believe that beating the child hard is actually child abuse. Other communities do not believe that cultural practices like FGM are not good for the children, but also in many other communities, as we try to follow up the child abuse case, there are those communities which sit together with the perpetrators and they agree with even a parent of the child and they receive gifts. They receive gifts like goats and alcohol, and they choose to sort out things out of court,” said Emmanuel Ahimbisibwe, Compassion International Uganda’s National Director.
Ahimbisibwe was on Thursday addressing the press at the Religious leaders’ dialogue on children rights ahead of the Day of the African Child commemoration which will be hosted by Uganda on Sunday 16th of June.
He noted that today, they are working with 481 churches across the country to raise children from poverty.
“But the challenge we face is the fact that we have limited resources and the need is increasingly High and High and High. There are many more children that we need to reach out to and yet we are also limited in a capacity. That’s why we call upon many different partners to join us, many stakeholders to join us so that together, we can make a difference in the lives of children.”
According to him, many children in the country still live in need, face hunger, struggle to access education, exposed to all forms of abuse, and others still live without shelter.
“Therefore, as much as we celebrate this day, it is also a moment for us to again, take a step back and ask ourselves, what better thing can we do to make sure that we make this world a better place for the children?”
Ahimbisibwe appealed to the government of Uganda, NGOs, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders within the space to continue working hard to make sure that every child is known, loved, safe, protected, and is also given a chance and an opportunity to grow.
He mentioned that they extend their services to refugee children where they offer psychosocial support, relief food, water and sanitation.
Mukono Diocese Bishop Enos Kitto Kagodo, encouraged everyone to see children as gifts from God.
“God just entrusted us to care of these young ones on his behalf. That means that we have to show them Godly love.”
“Discipline them, as a parent you have to guide, show them the way to take,” he added.
He challenged parents to stop leaving the responsibility of taking care of children to the government, “they are ours.”
