WATOTO WAITAKA SERIKALI KUTUNGA SHERIA KALI ...

Na Friday Simbaya, Mufindi 

Wanafunzi wa shule za msingi na sekondari wilayani Mufindi mkoani Iringa wameiomba serikali kwa kushirikiana na wadau wa haki za watoto kutunga sheria kali dhidi ya vitendo vya ukatili wa kijinsia vinavyochangia watoto kushindwa kutimiza ndoto zao. 

Wakizungumza jana wakati wa semina wa mabaraza ya watoto ngazi ya kata wanafunzi hao wanasema vitendo vya ukatili vimekuwa vikiongezeka kila siku kwa jamii inayo wazunguka kutokana na kutokuwapo kwa sheria kali dhidi yao huku wazazi wakionekana kushindwa kutimiza haki za watoto. 

Malezi mabaya ya familia yanachangia kwa kiasi kikubwa kuongezeka kwa vitendo viovu ikiwamo ubakaji na ulawiti hivyo Wazazi ,walezi na jamii kwa ujumla wanayonafasi kubwa ya kuijenga jamii yenye maadili dhidi ya vitendo viovu. 

Jumla ya watoto 140 kutoka kata za Bumilinyinga, Idunda na Ihowanza walishirika semina ya baraza la watoto ngazi ya kata kuhusu ukatili wa kijinsia iliyoandaliwa na Asasi isiyoyakiserikali ya SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania kwa shirikiana na Wilaya ya Mufindi, mkoani Iringa. 

Mmoja wa wajumbe wa baraza la watoto toka kata ya Ihowanza, Evelina Mwilapwa ambaye ni mwanafunzi wa kidato cha tatu katika shule ya sekondari Ihowanza alisema kuwa serikali kwa kushirikiana na wadau mbalimbali inapaswa kutunga sheria kali itakayoza kudhibiti viovu dhidi ya watoto. 

Alisema kuwa serikali kuwa serikali inatakiwa kulitilia umuhimu suala la ukatili wa kijinsia hasa kwa watoto wa kike ambao wana kumbana nalo kuanzia ngazi ya familia hadi jamii. 

Mwilapwa alisema kuwa wapo wazazi na walezi wenye mtazamo hasa juu ya watoto wakike kwa kuwanyimwa fursa ya kupata elimu pamoja na kubaguliwa. 

Ofisa Maendeleo ya jamii wa Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Mufindi Navoneiwa Mfinanga alisema licha ya kutoa elimu kwa wazazi bado changamoto ya ukatili kwa watoto imeonekana kukithiri miongoni mwa wazazi na walezi huku akieleza mikakati ya serikali juu ya jambo hilo. 

Alisema kuwa changamoto za ukatili wa kijinsia umeanza kupungua kutokana na elimu ya ukatili wa kijinsia kwa jamii kupitia kamati mbalimbali mazingira hatarishi. 

Mfinanga alisema kuwa yeye kama mratibu wa mabaraza ya watoto wamefanyikiwa kuunga mabaraza ya watoto ngazi ya kijiji,kata na ngazi ya wilaya. 

Aidha, ofisa maendeleo ya jamii aliyeshiriki kuendesha semina kwa watoto wa mabaraza ya watoto ngazi ya kati ni Grace Kalomeji toka halmashuri ya mji mafinga, wilayani Mufindi. 

Kokutona Kayungi ni Ofisa Mradi wa Shirika la SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania wilayani Mufindi kupitia mradi wa kuwezesha wanawake kiuchumi na haki za watoto alisema kuwa semina hiyo walikuwa ni kuimarisha na kuyajengea uwezo mabaraza ya watoto ili wawezekutambua haki zao ili waweze kupaza sauti zao juu ya masuala ya ukatili wa kijisia. 

Alisema kuwa kupitia mabaraza ya watoto ni jukwaa la watoto ambapo wanajadili mambo yao yanayowahusu wao wenyewe hasa ubakaji, mimba za utotoni pamoja na wawake kutopewa haki ya kumiliki mali. 

kayungi pia alisema ukalitili ya kijinsia mara nyingi utokea katika ngazi ya familia kwa kupitia mabaraza hayowa watoto wanafundishwa namna ya kutambua haki za ilikuweza kuripoti vitendo vya ukatili katika madawati ya kijinsia ambayo hapo katika maeneo yao. 

Aliongeza kuwa Asasi ya SOS childrens Villages Tanzania pia inatoa mafunzo ya kujenga uwezo wa walezi wa watoto, familia zao na jamii ili watoto wapate malezi ya kutosha. 

Kayungi alisema kuwa watoto takribani 140 toka kata za Bumilinyinga, Idunda na Ihowanza wamekutana kupitia mabaraza ya watoto yaliyopo Wilaya ya Mufindi, mkoani Iringa kubadilishana mitazamo na kupaza sauti kwa mambo yanayowahusu. 

“Watoto hawa kwa sasa wanakabiliwa na changamoto nyingi za vitendo vya ukatili kama kubakwa, ndoa za utotoni pamoja na kufanyishwa kazi ngumu na katika siku za hivi karibuni,” alisema. 

Mwisho

Children Demands The Government Enact Strict Law Against GBV

By Friday Simbaya, Mufindi 

Primary and secondary school students in Mufindi District Iringa have requested the government to cooperate with children's rights activists to implement strict law against gender based violence (GBV). 

They said by enacting stringent laws against GBV it will contribute to the fulfilling dreams for young children. 

The children told the TUMBUSI BLOG yesterday during a children’s Council meeting at ward level, that violent acts have risen every day in the community around due to lack of strict law against them while parents seem to fail to fulfill the rights of children. 

It is believed that family abuse contributes significantly to an increasing rise in harmful acts to children including rape and lawlessness. 

Parents, guardians and society generally have the greatest potential for building a moral society against evil practices. 

Evelina Mwilapwa, a Form Three (Form III) student at Ihowanza Secondary said that the government in collaboration with various stakeholders should formulate strict law to control immorality against children. 

She said that the government should state that the issue of gender-based violence against girls was to be avoided from family to community level. 

Mwilapwa said that there are parents and caregivers who are particularly concerned about the children who have been denied the opportunity to gain education and hence discrimination. 

The Community Development Officer Mufindi District Council Navoneiwa Mfinanga said due to education among parents and guardians the challenge of child abuse is decreasing while explaining government strategies on the matter. 

She said that the challenges of gender based violence have begun to decline due to the education of gender-based violence through the community through various risk-management committees. 

According to Kukutona Kayungi, the project officer SOS Children's Villages Tanzania in Mufindi District, through the women economic empowerment and child rights project said the seminar was strengthening and building capacity for children's councils so that they could recognize their rights so that they could raise their voices on issues of violence. 

She said that through children's councils is a forum for children where they discuss their own issues of rape, childhood pregnancy, and women's being denied the right to own property. 

Kayungi also stated that GBV often occurs at the family level but through the councils the children are taught how to recognize the rights of the potential to report acts of violence on the gender based violence desks that are in their area. 

She added that the SOS Children’s Villages Tanzania also offers training to build capacity to caregivers for their children, their families and the community so that children can get good morals. 

Kayungi said that children from three wards have met through the children's councils at ward level in Mufindi District, Iringa region, to exchange views and air voices to their interests. 

"These children are currently experiencing the challenge acts of violence such as rape, childhood marriages and under age employment in recent years," she said. 

The children’s forum was meant to build capacity for children so that they can open up and voice for themselves and their fellows. 

At least 140 children from Bumilayinga, Idunda and Ihowanza wards attended children’s councils round table discussion on gender based violence organized by the non-governmental organization of SOS Children's Villages Tanzania in partnership with Mufindi District, Iringa Iringa. 

End