SHILLONG, May 4: As part of its annual ‘Keeping Our Children Safe’ campaign, Faith Foundation recently organised a one-day dialogue and discussion programme titled ‘Guardians for Child Safety’, bringing together teachers and heads of institutions from various schools.
This year’s campaign theme, ‘A Safe Child is a Happy Child’, focuses on ensuring a secure environment for children to grow up healthy and happy.
The event, organised at Bosco Integrated Development Society (BIDS), Nongshilliang, was attended by educators who are part of the Foundation’s trained cohort of teachers working to create safer school spaces.
Deisukioki Khongngain, a cohort teacher trained by Faith Foundation, shared how the programme has empowered them to confront the often harsh realities that children face.
Talking about the initiative as the Cohort of teachers in his school, he said that they were able to share with colleagues about their experiences which they had and how they can safeguard the children against perpetrators.
“We are also in the process of having a Child Protection Policy. Some of the schools already have a Child Protection Policy, which is very good. But in our school also is still the progress and within this year we will be able to have Child Protection Policy,” he said.
Another representative of the cohort of teachers, Kyntiew Riti Mawlong, highlighted efforts to engage parents through awareness sessions held during parent-teacher meetings.
According to her, they have to explain to the parents about the importance of knowing about sexual abuse against children.
Mawlong, who is an Assistant at Khasi Jaintia National Government Upper Primary School, Jaiaw Pdeng, also shared that schools are selecting student representatives to form a champion group, consisting of three to four trained students who will serve as peer resources for others who may not feel comfortable speaking to teachers or principals.
According to her, these students will be trained by Faith Foundation on how to handle disclosures.
It may be mentioned that the Faith Foundation began its first month-long campaign two years ago under the name My Safe Space Campaign, which has since evolved into the annual Keeping Our Children Safe initiative.
It is the only child rights organisation in Meghalaya dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse, having worked in the field for the past 12 years.
This year’s campaign focuses on building strong partnerships with schools across Shillong and Meghalaya, aiming to raise awareness about the crucial need to protect children from unsafe environments and ensure that schools remain safe spaces for every child.
