By Frank Edima
Prevent Abuse of Children Today (PACT) Coalition in Cross River State, supported by Safe Child Africa just concluded a two days program to celebrate the 2015 Universal Day For Children at the Internally Displaced People (IDP) Camp, Ikot Eyo in Akpabuyo local government area where the Bakassi refugees are kept.
Universal Day for Children is a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate children who suffer human rights abuses and other societal challenges usually celebrated on 20th November every year.
PACT, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is committed to protecting and promoting the rights of children and the vulnerable people in the society.
In the wisdom of the NGO, a day before 20th it held a town hall campaign in Calabar South for the prevention of child abuses in the State which was also supported by the Calabar South Local Government Council.
The Chairman of Calabar South Local Government, Majorie Eyo Asuquo who spoke at the town hall campaign expressed gratitude with PACT saying she is proud of identifying with the NGO.
She went on to urge participants not leave without a decision to join hands with the organization towards making the society a better place for children. She ended by pledging her support any time, any day and anywhere.
On his part, the Area Cooperative Officer of the State Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development for Akpabuyo and Bakassi, Prince Emmanuel Edem maintained that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the society is a better place for children because no one knows tomorrow.
The team leaders of the two days event, Dr. Esther Onoyom-Ita and Eno Iyamba, Esq. respectively sued for stronger tires in ensuring that the inalienable fundamental human rights of children are jealously guarded because they are the future leaders of every society with a tomorrow.
Dr. Esther on her part revealed that 19th November is a day the UN set aside to mount campaign for prevention of child abuse the world over.
She was quick to add that a holistic approach involving stakeholders be adapted before any meaningful result can be achieved.
While Eno on his part stated that the theme for 2015, End Violence Against Children Today, was adopted to help educate people on the various categories of child abuse and provide participants with information on how to report cases of abuses.
He added that the rationale behind the selection of the camp is because of the present condition of the camp inmates which he described as really sad, buttressing that part of the aim of the visit is to put smiles on their faces.
The town hall campaign featured a talk on child abuse and prevention while in the Internally Displaced Peoples camp, the workshop was interactive as women, men, teenagers and children were separated into different discussion classes to discuss on the topic of Identifying and Responding to Child Abuses.
Desperate to learn more about child abuse, the camp coordinators, appreciated the organizers for visiting them when others are running away.
They highlighted their plight to include neglect by the State and Federal Government revealing that for a very long time they have not been properly attended to in terms of feeding, medicals and other issues.
After thanking PACT, they called on the State Government to do something about their resettlement lamenting that most of their boys are been wooed to join the arms deal and the girls facing awful harassments.