Empower Vulnerable Children in Peru and Cambodia

Keeping Children Safe in Peru

Globalteer, through its initiatives, continues to work towards the empowerment and protection of children at the projects and in the communities that surround them. Globalteer has identified children in these areas as being particularly vulnerable and susceptible to various forms of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Globalteer therefore developed its Child Protection Policy in order to develop a better understanding of how to better protect children. Building on that, Globalteer introduced classes on child safety at its projects, including at the Picaflor House Community Project in Cusco, Peru, where children were taught how to protect themselves in various situations.

Child Protection Classes

During this reporting cycle, Larissa, a volunteer from Brazil, was recruited as an NGO Assistant at the Picaflor House Community Project. One of Larissa’s duties was to teach a child safety class three days a week to the children of Picaflor House. The aim of these classes is to improve the children’s self-awareness and self-esteem, and to make them more conscious of danger. The class also aims to prevent psychological and physical abuse, along with teaching children about safety in various situations such as walking at night. One of the most important parts of these child safety classes is teaching the children the concept of a ‘trusted adult,’ which refers to familial or non-familial adults who they can turn to if abuse is being committed by a person at home. The children are also taught about ‘safe touch’ and ‘unsafe touch,’ which is recognizing when being touched by another person is appropriate and inappropriate.

Impact of Child Protection Classes

During Larissa’s tenure at Picaflor House, the child protection classes have yielded some noticeable and positive results. According to Larissa, when she first started teaching the classes, there were two sisters, twins, who were very shy and timid. However, since then, they have become more confident and vocal in the classes, and their self-esteem has improved due to the classes. Another student recently confided in Larissa that she was in a concerning situation at home. Larissa and the staff at Picaflor House are currently in the process of getting that student help she needs.

The Child Protection Policy, along with the child protection classes, were intended to protect children from various forms of harm. We are optimistic that the continuation of these classes will not only lead to the improved self-esteem of the students at Picaflor House, but that we will also develop their capacity to protect themselves in different scenarios and provide them with information on steps to take when they, or anybody they know, has become the victim of abuse.

Child protection training in Cambodia plays a critical role in safeguarding the well-being and rights of the country's most vulnerable population - its children. Cambodia, like many other developing nations, faces numerous challenges in ensuring that children are protected from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Child protection training initiatives aim to address these challenges by equipping individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to create a safer environment for children.

These training programs cover a wide range of topics, including child rights, child psychology, child abuse prevention, and legal frameworks related to child protection. They are typically designed for a diverse audience, including teachers, social workers, law enforcement personnel, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and parents. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the issues and solutions, these training programs empower participants to recognize and respond to child protection concerns effectively.

Recent Activities

Our social worker, Kong, has recently joined a training course with many other social workers from Cambodia about child abuse and exploitation. Kong joined in training about how to teach children about sexual exploitation, how to recognize this and how to deal with the situation when it arises amongst the children she is responsible for. From this course, she was able to deliver 14 new classes to children aged 6 to 16 years old. The children were taught what was sexual exploitation and how to recognise and protect themselves from exploitation.

Ongoing training

We have our child protection training classes scheduled for next month where all the children will receive a one week course. The Child Protection Programme empowers and educates children. It was designed by children and parents, to combat fears regarding children's safety. Our teachers educate children about expressing feelings, self confidence, resources for reporting crimes, stranger danger, safe and unsafe touches and safety strategies, among other topics. Children will recognise potential dangerous situations and believe in themselves. Only then will we start to see a positive change in the harrowing statistics.

Such training initiatives have the potential to make a significant impact in a country where child protection is an ongoing concern, helping to break the cycle of abuse and exploitation and promote a safer and more secure future for Cambodia's children.