ZAMBIA: Catholic Schools Respond to Pope Francis’ Call to Safeguard Learners
Participants for a workshop to safeguard learners
Sandra Kunda
In response to Pope Francis’ impassioned plea to combat abuse in all its forms, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Education Department has spearheaded a workshop aimed at fostering a culture of safeguarding within Catholic learning institutions for focal point persons.
ZCCB National Education Coordinator Fr. Leonard Namuhumba says the workshop, meticulously designed to encourage the sharing of best practices, challenges, and experiences, serves as a proactive step towards eradicating the scourge of abuse from the education environments.
Fr. Namuhumba states that drawing inspiration from Pope Francis, “The time has come… to eradicate the evil,” educators within the Catholic school system have united in a collective mission to create safe spaces for all learners.
Recognizing the pivotal role teachers play in shaping the educational landscape, he emphasised the fundamental necessity of safe teaching and learning environments.
And the safeguarding focal point persons have applauded ZCCB saying the training has helped them to learn from stakeholders, how best to implement the policy in the schools.
The formation of the safeguarding policy has since been concluded and will be launched in August.
