Initiative launched for protection of children

The Msichana Initiative Project of the Voice of the Community organisation has launched a Sh80 million six-month initiative on child protection at Bahi District in Dodoma Region. The project, which focuses on girls, is funded by the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) and will include the formation of at least 10 child protection teams to cater for children’s welfare in five wards. Moreover, the project involves capacity building training to some key figures on how best to protect and advocate for the full rights of girls in all perspectives. The wards that will benefit from the project are Kigwe, Msisi, Mndemu, Chikota and Bahi.

Speaking earlier in the week during the launch of the project, the Bahi District Commissioner, Ms Elizabeth Kitundu, said her district was used to cases of mistreatment of young girls. She believes that the project will supplement efforts by the government to protect the girls in the fast-growing district. “There have been increased cases of child marriage and other forms of humiliations against girls, a situation which affects them both psychologically and physically besides derailing their dreams,” she admitted.

Ms Kitundu called upon the whole community in the district to cooperate in the project in order to put the vice to rest.

For her part, the project manager, Ms Lineth Masala said they had decided to implement the initiative at the district after learning that it was prone to a number of abuses against the young girls