KENYA: Let us work together to Safeguard African Child, AMECEA Implores Inter-Religious Council of Kenya
AMECEA Pastoral Coordinator Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo has called on the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) to collaborate and work together towards ensuring that children are safeguarded from all kinds of abuses in all aspects.
He commended the organization for the recent launch of their Child Safeguarding Policy in Nairobi. Terming it a bold step and the right way to go towards ensuring safety for the African child, Fr. Chimombo said that it is high time all organizations followed the example and came up with ways of ensuring that children are protected and their rights upheld for them to grow up and develop to become resourceful people in the future.
“Safeguarding children from all forms of abuse means that we are securing our future. When children are protected and supported the future is safe; but when they are exploited, abused and stigmatised; the future is broken, it is destroyed,” Fr. Chimombo said adding that the Bible calls on protection of children.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” he quoted the Ephesians 6:4.
Fr. Chimombo together with AMECEA Child protection Officer, George Thuku attended the launch of IRCK Child Safeguarding Policy on Thursday, November 7 in Nairobi where they shared with IRCK members about AMECEA’s initiatives towards child protection throughout AMECEA Region.
The IRCK is an umbrella organization composed of the Muslim Community, Hindu Community, and Christian Communities as well as other religions in the country.
Speaking at the launch, IRCK Chairman Rev. Fr. Joseph Mutie Chairman IRSK said that in coming together for the common good, it is a blessing to hear the Bible as well as the Quran speak and empower people on how to safeguard our children.
The IRCK resolved to have a policy in order to ensure that the organization has procedures in place to prevent and deal with child abuse and exploitation by the Secretariat and all other management and oversight organs at the national and country level.
By launching the Policy, all IRCK staff, standing commissioners, officials of the Kenya Interfaith Youth Network and the Kenya women of Faith Network and all county interfaith networks will sign a commitment statement on child safeguarding, which shall be kept in the file by Human Resource Department or their respective Administration.
“The Principles that guided the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya policy are in the best interest of the child, and the organization endeavours zero tolerance to discrimination and respect for child opinion in matters affecting them and involvement of the child where necessary,” Fr. Mutie added.
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
