A local NGO, Standard Action Liaison Force (SALF), in partnership with the Finn Church Aid (FCA), on Saturday held an awareness campaign on gender based violence (GBV), child protection, and child protection in Paguir Payam in Jonglei State’s Fangak County.
Bol Khan, the SALF program officer, told Radio Tamazuj that the event was funded by the Child Protection Component of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) program, dubbed the Education in Emergencies Solutions for Conflict and Floods Affected Children in Jonglei and Upper Nile States.
“During the awareness event, Schools’ Child Protection Clubs and Hygiene and Environmental Clubs demonstrated some dramas(plays) on the topics of child labor, neglect, commercial exploitation, denial of education, and forced and early marriage,” he stated. “These are the overall issues of gender-based violence, child protection, and psychosocial support. The objective of the awareness campaign was to bring together stakeholders, parents, teachers, community leaders, and local authorities so that children advocate for their rights in public.”
Khan said they aimed to encourage parental and community participation in the protection of their children’s rights and, more importantly, for them to prioritize their children’s education amid so many other challenges.
“The awareness event was attended by Paguir Payam’s local authorities, Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs), humanitarian agencies, and the general public,” he said.