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Jennifer Kaberi REPSSI Presenation final
- 1. The Church as a Child Protection System in Africa Jennifer Kaberi, Daystar University, Kenya
- 2. This paper highlights findings of a research done on the role of the church in protecting children in Nairobi Kenya, a case of Evangelical Churches.
- 3. Childhood is under threat ! Well known risks, HIV and thank God Ebola is gone, Poverty, Retrogressive cultural and abuse (1 BILLION CHILDREN ARE VICTIMS) Emerging risks- Non communicable disease 2.9M deaths per years, Terrorism (^ 309%), Negative use of technology, Climate change WHERE WE ARE……..
- 4. The UNCRC (1989) (Quarter Life crisis) The ACRWC (2000) (Hormonal imbalances) Constitutions and Children Acts (Growing up troubles) The need to rethink on child protection CHILD PROTECTION
- 5. FOR CHILDREN
- 6. THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM
- 7. 32 % of the world population and Over 50% of people living in sub Saharan Africa are practicing Christians, 60% of this are regular church attendants. Church supports orphaned children. Church leaders are most respected in Africa Churches become safe haven during crisis and emergencies Most charities in Africa are church based. CHURCH AND CHILD PROTECTION IN AFRICA
- 8. Still abuse happens within and without the church!
- 9. Descriptive study exploring the church as a child protection system in Africa A mixed methodology : Questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant Participants: 140 adult church members, 60 children 20 church leaders. METHODOLOGY
- 10. FINDINGS Opinion on whether children are safe in church This shows that most participants viewed the church as safe
- 11. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% Strongest Strong Moderate Weak Weakest CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM COMPONENTS
- 12. Weakness 70% rated the existence of a child protection policy as not strong 60% of the respondent believed that church partnership with other organizations was weak 74% rated child participation not strong Monitoring system was rated weak by 59% of the participants. 71% of children workers not trained FINDINGS
- 13. Strength 60% of the participants rated leadership commitment to children issues to be very strong. 60% rated children Budget allocation strong. Works well with government FINDINGS
- 14. The findings concluded although majority of the respondent indicated the church as safe for children. The church has a weak child protection system Weak legal system Weak Monitoring and accountability Poor child participation Weak capacity Lack of partnership with other organizations However the church leadership is committed to child protection this can be seen in the budget allocation CONCLUSIONS
- 16. System Strengthening ADVOCATE LEGALISING/ laws, policies and procedures TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS
- 19. Email: jenny.kaberi@gmail.com THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION @dalithso Jennifer Kaberi
Editor's Notes
- The threats have serious implications for child development and well-being and affects all children regardless of their socio economic status threatening humanity itself
- Inspite of the existence of progressive laws to protect children from harm, the abuse of children has not significantly reduced, (UNICEF, 2014). The slow progress in creating a protective environment for children has resulted to a rethinking in the strategies of Child protection. The most recent strategy is being referred to a systematic approach in child protection that is “Child Protection System” (UNICEF, 2012).
- The importance of addressing child protection from a holistic perspective, that is systematic and multifaceted that responds to violence against children, was a recommendation from a 2006 UN report (Wulczyn et al., 2010). The approach suggests that child protection happens in multi-levels where each level and interaction of the different levels is important in ensuring child protection (Ungar, 2013). Delaney & Quigley, (2014) identifies some key four features of a child protection; it should be made up of a collection of different components that are organized around a common goal or vision. It should have specific sets of functions, structures and capacities. The different components of the system are constantly interacting , influence and affect each other .There are different actors involved in the child protection system and play essential functions. The child protection system needs to fit in the context by being relevant and appropriate. A systematic approach calls for integration of all essential services to provide a quality life. In the case of Child protection it calls not only integration but also working with other members (humans,agencies or institution) to ensure child survival and development, using the principle of 3Cs that is Coordination, cooperation and collaboration, (UNICEF 2012). A systematic approach calls for the following specific components that have been assembled to ensure child protection.
- Laws, policies, standards and regulations Laws, policies, standards and regulations determine the system’s structures, mandates and functions that protect a child within or without a system. They show an institution’s commitment to protect children from childhood risks (Unicef, 2006).Best practice in child protection however, show the most effective way to protect children in an organization/institution setting is having a child protection policy (Moorea, &Michael &Robinson, 2015). According to Stone, (2010), the child protection policy should include guidelines on, How to respond if there are concerns/suspicions of abuse, co-ordination concerns and take action, Safe recruitment procedures for both paid workers and volunteers, Guidelines for running church activities with children. Case management in Child protection The process of case management is interactive and goal directed with an emphasis on monitoring and review to ensure that services are being delivered and the identified needs of the child, young person and family are being meat(Jones, 2014). For the process to successful there is need for a strong capacity at the organization level to handle child protection concerns. This includes capacity building, human and financial resources, and adequate infrastructure (World Vision, 2012). This calls for adequate skilled relevant professionals in child protection for instant social workers, teachers, healthcare workers, security and leaders to ensure a safe environment. This is to ensure smooth case management and referral system to ensure that victimized children get appropriate care and support. Delaney & Quigley, (2014) identifies capacity as the back born of child protection. He stresses the capacity of an organization weakens or strengthens a child protection system. This is further discussed by Wulczyn et al., ( 2010) who says that the capacity of an organization should be more than the quantity, but also the quality and qualification of the children work force. Partnerships Partnerships call for a greater cooperation, coordination and collaboration of duty bearers in the process of child protection. Partnership is an important element in child protection, because it is a mechanism that ensures that all element of the systems formal and informal , across different sectors and levels work in a holistic and coordinated manner to ensure that child protection(Wet, 2011). Cooperation and collaboration, also involves networking , structures agreements regarding protective services, such as referral and response mechanisms which connect local initiatives and actors to strengthen child protection(Fletcher, Hunter, & Eanes, 2006) Accountability mechanisms in child protection The main center of accountability in a child protection system is the leadership. They ensure the system is effectively responding to key child protection concerns and functioning according to the UNCRC, relevant laws and in the best interest of the child,(Munro, 2005).This involves having child protection standards of care , code of conduct, reporting system and response mechanisms with regular reports to governance bodies and other duty-bearers on the state of child protection system (Moorea, Michael & Robinsonb,2015). It also involves child participation to hold duty-bearers accountable. strengthening the efforts to make complaints mechanisms accessible and well known to all children.(Wulczyn et al., 2010). A systematic approach calls for strengthening of certain structures, functions, and capacities, among other components that have been assembled in relation to a set of child protection goals (Save the Children, 2009; UNICEF 2008). The system approach is divided in formal and non formal systems to protect children. Formal systems are government systems, laws and policies and non formal systems being community based structures, values and beliefs (Davis &McCaffery, 2012). Kenya defines a child protection system as “A set of laws, policies, regulations, services and capacities (wherein) monitoring and oversight is needed across all social sectors to prevent and respond to protection-related risk (Wulczyn et al., 2010). The church is part of the community and hence part of the informal child protection system. The church has been referred to as the body of Christ; a body is a system with many parts that rely on each other to optimise their function. The church has three main aspects; it facilitates the relation of God and people; people and people; and people and others (Knox, 2011). In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says let the little children come to me for such is the Kingdom of Heaven, this means children are the heart of the kingdom of God, thus the church should be in the forefront of protecting them (Ritchie,2013).
- Thus with half of the world children being victims of child abuse means that child abuse not a myth but a reality in both protestant and catholic churches (Bailey, 2013). Kennedy, (2000) says that the number of child abuse cases in the church that goes unnoticed is worrying with a majority of people being concerned with abuse being perpetrated by “church workers” but not for children who are abused at home, school or in the community coming to church wounded. While O’Neill et al., (2010 ) in an indepth study in the United States, on the role of the church preventing child abuse, revealed that majority of church leaders acknowledged child abuse is happening in the church and child protection is a heavy burden and great responsibility.
- The catholic church rape cases Increase in terrorism against the church Radicalization Abuse around the church
- A total of 140 adult questionnaires were administered in three evangelical churches in Nairobi’s County central business district, and the researcher managed to obtain 104 completed questionnaires representing 74.3 percent response rate. A total of ten Key Informant interviews were conducted out of the 12 planned which was 80 percent response rate. Four (4) Focus group discussions of six (6) planned were also conducted which was a 67 percent response rate. A 100 percent response was achieved in the check list because it was administered in all the three (3) churches. Descriptive study aimed at exploring the church as a child protection system in Africa, with a focus on Kenyan Evangelical churches. A mixed methodology was used to examine the existence of components of a child protection system in three evangelical churches in Nairobi, Kenya. Questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to get response from the research participants which included 140 adult church members, 60 children and 20 church leaders.
- 50% of the participants rated the child protection system weak. The system is not strong because some of the components were rated weak or very weak.
- 60% of the participants rated leadership commitment to be very strong and only 2 percent rated the leadership commitment as weak. This shown in allocating a special budget for the children ministry which was rated strong by 63% of the participants. However the monitoring system of the church was rated weak with 59% of the participants rating it as weak. This was identified by children who said there are no registers in classrooms during Sunday school. In one of the churches they did not know the exact number of children in the church. strong.The reason being of not partnering was sited that “we have our own system so we don’t need systems from outside”, as one the senior pastors put it. The church leaders did not see the need of partnering with other churches or organizations, especially civil society organization, because they view the organizations as having a different mandate from that one of the church “Our work is to preach the gospel, while there is to advocate for rights”. This findings show that the church works in isolation and does not want to work with other because they don’t see the importance as one pastors said “maybe it is spiritual pride”. Partnership is an important component of child protection, it calls for collaboration, cooperation and coordination (3 Cs)
- 60% of the participants rated leadership commitment to be very strong and only 2 percent rated the leadership commitment as weak. This shown in allocating a special budget for the children ministry which was rated strong by 63% of the participants. However the monitoring system of the church was rated weak with 59% of the participants rating it as weak. This was identified by children who said there are no registers in classrooms during Sunday school. In one of the churches they did not know the exact number of children in the church. strong.The reason being of not partnering was sited that “we have our own system so we don’t need systems from outside”, as one the senior pastors put it. The church leaders did not see the need of partnering with other churches or organizations, especially civil society organization, because they view the organizations as having a different mandate from that one of the church “Our work is to preach the gospel, while there is to advocate for rights”. This findings show that the church works in isolation and does not want to work with other because they don’t see the importance as one pastors said “maybe it is spiritual pride”. Partnership is an important component of child protection, it calls for collaboration, cooperation and coordination (3 Cs)
- The church is and will continue to be responsible to be , for provision of services because she has the biblical mandate to bring the children in the ways of the Lord (O’Neill et al., 2010). World Bank,( 2015), estimates by 2035 the population of Africa would have doubled, thus the current generation of children are essential in determining how Africa will look like in 20 years. Hence, the church should take up this mandate of being the salt and light to the world, by influencing the type of environment children are brought up in. Based on the findings and conclusion of this study, on the role of the church in protecting children. The researcher gives the following recommendations on how the church can contribute in creating a protective environment for children, hence securing the next generation. Salt works to improve and preserve the inside, while Light works to improve the outside (a touch does not need itself to light)
- System strenghening starting with the child who is the center of the family which is the core system in a child life, this can be through programs that support the e.g. pareanting classes, son/father program, alternative right of passage, young mothers clubs to teach on childhood and safeguarding child development. Advocacy, use the pulpit as an an advocacy platform Legalising, having laws and proceedures that safeguard children within the church Training, ensuring that church children workers are qualified, quantity and quality delivering of services can also be used as para socialwork force.
- Leading in child protection Initiatiating child protection activities/ interventions in the community, influencing the way child protection happens from the family level to the international level. Lobbying The church has the potential of pushing the state to have laws that ensure child welfare and survival e.g Bishop Desmond Tutu Initiate, the church can initiate child protection intervention at the community level to mitigate the many child protection concerns At the National level the church can influence how child protection happens for example budget allocation for children department Guard and guide Psalms 23 ensure children are safe from harm but also giving them information to guide them in decision making Housing, the church premises can be use as rescue centers, child care centers, talent development The bible says where there is unity God commands a blessing, so by hold hands with other organizations the church can createa protective environment. Treating of child protection concerns by identifying, responding and preventing Testing, the church should be at the fore front in research, (test and see the Lord is,) it is through testing that the church can have evidence based interventions for children