The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on Thursday launched its Child Protection Policy to guide its activists in reporting cases of child physical and sexual abuse.
According to a statement from SASOD, Zenita Nicholson, the Secretary of its Board of Trustees, told the launch, which took place at Sidewalk Café, that the policy highlights the organisation’s commitment to the protection of children in Guyana.
She noted reports of abuse and violence against children made to SASOD’s members and partners, which propelled the organization towards this initiative.
“It is in this vein that we recognised that the organisation needs a Child Protection Policy to govern how we operate when our representatives encounter these situations,” she was quoted as saying in the statement.
The policy, accessible on SASOD’s website at http://www.sasod.org.gy/childprotectionpolicy, as officially presently to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), UNAIDS and other partners present at the event. Nicholson and Richard Pitman were identified as SASOD’s Child Protection Officers.
Nicholson added that SASOD envisioned a society where every child has the right to grow and develop to their full potential in a secure, safe, environment, free from poverty and exploitation in their home, community, school and other institutions mandated to work with children.
Teresa Gaime, Deputy Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPPA), congratulated SASOD and welcomed the initiative. She also encouraged other organisations to create a system that would allow for the protection of children.
UNAIDS Country Coordinator Roberto Brandt Campos, meanwhile, congratulated SASOD and emphasised the role of civil society organisations as a voice for the voiceless. He also highlighted the link between child protection and the reduction of HIV.
Executive Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Marissa Lowden also complimented SASOD on the launch of its Child Protection Policy and noted a recent engagement between the two organizations to collaborate on future activities.
The statement also noted that SASOD in collaboration with Help and Shelter conducted a child protection training last week at Lifeline Counseling Services, another partner of the organization, to train its members and partners on the new policy. It praised Help and Shelter and Child Link for their support in helping to develop the policy.
