Promoting Student Awareness on Child Protection Issues

Published Wed, Nov 30, 2022
Written by Sarah Pietryga

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With over half of Sierra Leone’s population under the age of 18, child protection issues and children’s rights are of huge concern in the West African country. Every day, children and young people face challenging social and economic problems and are vulnerable to neglect, abuse and exploitation in the form of child labor, indecent work, and child trafficking.

To promote the safety and well-being of our students, every school year EduNations’ Psychosocial Coordinator trains new students in all our 15 schools across the six districts on EduNations’ Child Protection policy. 

Our students are trained in Child Protection’s “five P’s”: Prevention, Paramountcy, Partnership, Protection and Parental Responsibility. Ms. Koroma teaches how EduNations is committed to the policy through a “systems approach” to address root causes to prevent exploitation and violence in our schools and communities. Students learn how EduNations staff may not engage in corporal punishment, psychological intimidation or abuse, or sexual harassment or abuse,

Children hear and see how EduNations is committed to making our schools the best, safest, and most encouraging environment for them to live, learn, and develop. We believe this is not just the right way, but also the best way.