Usalama wa jamii hauhitaji kusikitika peke yake lakini pia kushughulikia uhatarishi uliopo (Community safety does not only need our sympathy but also empathy to address the existing vulnerability)
See the English
translation below (chini kuna maelezo haya kwa lugha ya Kingereza)
Katika zoezi letu la hivi karibuni la kubaini mahitaji ya
vijana-balehe (adolescents) na vijana wa nje ya shule (out-of-school youth),
tulikutana na visa vingi vya kusikitisha. Tulihoji wanafunzi wa shule za msingi
na sekondari, viongozi wa dini, viongozi wa serikali, vijana wa nje ya shule,
walimu na wazazi/walezi.
Wanafunzi walijaza dodoso ambapo msichana wa miaka 13 anayelelewa
na bibi yake (asiyejulikana jina lake) alijibu hivi:
Swali na 26: Katika miezi 6 iliyopita umekuwa katika mazingira gani hatarishi ukiwa nyumbani, njiani, shuleni, katika nyumba za ibada, kwa rafiki au kwa ndugu yenu?
Jibu lake: Mjomba anakuja chumbani kwangu usiku na kunilawiti
Swali
na 27: Unashauri
nini kifanyike kupunguza uhatarishi?
Jibu lake: Abadilike asitende vitu viovu
Najua uliposoma majibu hayo umejisikia vibaya na kumsikitikia huyu mtoto lakini pia umekasirishwa na kitendo kiovu anachofanya mjomba wake. Na bilashaka unatamani huyu mjomba akamatwe na kufungwa maisha. Hayo mawazo yako yanaonyesha huruma na kujali. Hata sheria zetu zina adhabu kali kwa vitendo hivyo.
Hata hivyo napenda kukutafakarisha zaidi na kukufanya uwe na mkakati unaoweza kusaidia watoto kama hawa.
Swali la kujiuliza:
Unadhani kwanini huyu mtoto hakumshirikisha mwalimu wake, kiongozi wake wa dini, mtu mzima ambaye ni jirani yao wala bibi yake anayemlea? Kwanini amesubiri hadi wakati wa tathmini tuliyoifanya ndipo akafunguka?
Tukivaa viatu vya mtoto huyu (empathize) pengine ameshindwa kusema kwa sababu anawaza hivi:
1. Sitaaminika kwamba ni kweli nimefanyiwa vitendo hivyo. Na pengine nitaambiwa
kwa nini siku zote hizo sikusema. Nitahukumiwa kwamba nilifurahia vitendo hivyo
ndiyo maana sikusema.
2. Mjomba anaponifanyia vitendo hivi anakuja na panga na
kunitishia kwamba kama nitasema tu atanikata shingo. Kwa hiyo nafuu ninyamaze
tu kuliko kuhatarisha maisha yangu.
3. Mjomba ndiye anayenilisha mimi na bibi na ndiye anayenisomesha.
Akikamatwa na kufungwa utakuwa ni mwisho wangu wa kusoma na pengine nitakuwa
mtoto wa mtaani. Nikiwa mtoto wa mtaani nitajikuta naingia rasmi kwenye ukahaba
ili niweze kujikimu.
4. Bibi hatakubali mjomba afungwe kwa vile ni yeye anayemsaidia
kimaisha. Atamtetea kuliko kile nilichofanyiwa mimi na huenda atanifukuza
kabisa.
5. Nitadhalilika na kubaguliwa kama wanafunzi wenzangu na wanajamii watajua nimefanyiwa kitendo hicho. Sitakuwa na marafiki tena.
Angalizo:
Wakati tukiendelea kupima wanafunzi ujauzito na kuwatenga waumini wanaopachikwa mimba nje ya ndoa, huyu binti yeye ‘analawitiwa.’ Anayefanya ukatili huu kinyume na maumbile anafanya hivyo ili asimpe mimba na kukamatwa kwa wepesi zaidi. Huoni kwamba tunahitaji mikakati mipya ya kuwasaidia watoto wetu wa kizazi hiki?
Nini kifanyike?
Pamoja na sheria kuchukua mkondo wake kwa vitendo viovu kama hivi, tunahitaji kufanyia kazi matatizo ya aina hii kwa mtazamo unaogusa maeneo yote ya maisha (holistic approach).
Kuna watu wengi ambao hawako tayari kuripoti ukatili wanaofanyiwa kwa vile hakuna mahali salama pa kukimbilia baada ya hapo. Atajikuta baada ya kuripoti asubuhi ikifika jioni anarudi kwa mtu yule yule aliyemfanyia ukatili. Mtu huyo aliyemfanyia ukatili anaweza kumfanyia ukatili wa aina nyingine kwa kumnyima mahitaji ya msingi ili kumkomeshwa kabisa. Hata hivyo kuna nyakati wanaume pia wanafanyiwa ukatili wa kijinsia. Hivi karibuni tuliweza kumsaidia mwanaume mwenye umri wa miaka 25 aliyekuwa anapigwa na mkewe mpaka kujeruhiwa na hakujua aripoti wapi.
Hivyo, wakati hatua za kisheria zikichukuliwa lazima jamii
iwe tayari kuwachukua, kuwalea na kuwasomesha watoto kama hawa (kwa kufuata taratibu
za kisheria) baada ya vyombo vya serikali kujiridhisha kwamba kuna usalama wa
kutosha hapo watoto wanapokimbilia.
Dhamira ya Shirika letu la Beyond Four Walls (BFW) ni
kujengea uwezo jamii ishinde uhatarishi, utegemezi na umasikini kwa kutumia
mbinu shirikishi za maendeleo. Hivyo karibu ushirikiane na sisi katika
kuwalinda, kuwatetea na kuwasaidia watoto na vijana wasikatishwe ndoto zao
ambazo Mungu amewapangia.
Ikiwa unachangia matukio mengi ya jamii, unaweza pia
kuchangia ujuzi, makazi, vifaa, zawadi na fedha ili tuwasaidie watu wanaoishi
mazingira hatarishi kama hawa popote walipo.
Tunataraji mwisho wa mwezi Oktoba 2023, ripoti kamili ya
tathmini (needs assessment) itakuwa imekamilika.
Tunakaribisha taasisi za dini, mashirika, makampuni na watu
binafsi wanaoguswa na uhatarishi na majanga katika jamii washirikiane nasi.
Kumbuka mashirika yasiyo ya kiserikali (NGOs) yamesajiliwa
kama mashirika yanayojitegemea (independent) na wakati huohuo yanaisaidia serikali
na lengo lake sio kukosoa tu serikali. Ndiyo maana mashirika haya yanaitwa NON-GOVERNMENTAL
na sio ANTI-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Wasiliana nasi leo:
Dr Lawi Mshana, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji, +255 712-924234;
beyond4wallstanzania@gmail.com
Jina la Akaunti yetu: Beyond Four Walls; Bank: CRDB; Namba
ya Akaunti: 0133621816400
Pia unaweza kujiunga na Group letu la Kukabiliana na uhatarishi na majanga kupitia kiungo hiki https://web.facebook.com/groups/809549020780951
Community safety does
not only need our sympathy but also empathy to address the existing
vulnerability
In our recent needs assessment activity for adolescents and
out-of-school youth, we encountered many sad cases. We interviewed primary and
secondary school students, religious leaders, government officials,
out-of-school youth, teachers and parents/caregivers.
Students filled out a questionnaire and here is the response
of an anoymous 13-year-old girl raised by her grandmother:
Qn 26: In the last 6 months, in what vulnerable situations have you been at home, on the way back home and to school, at school, in houses of worship, with your friend or relative?
Her response: My uncle comes to my room at night and sexually assaults me by anal penetration.
Qn 27: What do you suggest should be done to reduce the risk?
Her response: He should change and stop doing this evil.
I know that when you were reading those responses, you felt bad and felt sorry for this child, but you were also angry at the evil act of her uncle. And of course you want this uncle to be arrested and imprisoned for life. Those thoughts of yours show compassion and concern and our laws have severe punishments for such actions.
However, I would like to help you think widely and have a workable strategy that can help children like these.
Reflection Question:
Why do you think this girl did not share her vulnerability to her teacher, her faith leader, a trusted adult/neighbor or her grandmother who is raising her? Why did she wait until the time of the assessment to open up?
If we empathize with this girl, we may discover the reasons behind as follows:
1. People will not trust that I went through that experience. And probably
they will ask why I didn’t reveal it to this day. I will be condemned that I
delayed to reveal it because I was enjoying the behaviour.
2. When my uncle does this evil act to me, he comes with a sword
and threatens me that if I reveal it, he will kill me. So it's better to keep
quiet than to risk my life.
3. My uncle is the one who feeds me and my grandmother and is the
one who sent me to school. If he is arrested and imprisoned, it will be the end
of my education and I will probably become a street child. As a street child, I
will find myself engaged in prostitution in order to make a living.
4. The grandmother will not be willing to see that the uncle is imprisoned
as he is the breadwinner. He will defend him more than what was done to me and
he may expel me completely.
5. I will be humiliated and discriminated against if my classmates and community members will know that I have been subjected to that act. I won't have friends anymore.
Note:
While we continue to carry out pregnancy tests for students and excommunicate those who get pregnant out of wedlock, this girl is experiencing 'anal rape'. The perpetrator commits this violence so that she will not get pregnant and be arrested for impregnating a school child. Don't you think we need new strategies to help our children of this generation?
What should be done?
Depite that the law will take its course for evil actions like this, we need a holistic approach in addressing this kind of vulnerability.
Many people are not willing to report the violence they experience because there is no safe place to run to afterwards. She may find herself reporting in the morning and in the evening she goes back home to meet with the perpetrator. The abuser can do another kind of violence by denying her the basic needs in order to teach her a lesson (in a negative way, of course). However, even men face gender-based violence at times. Recently we helped a 25-year-old man who was being beaten by his wife and even wounded but did not know where to report that violence.
So, when legal measures are taken, the community must be
ready to raise and send such children to school (following legal procedures)
after the government instruments are satisfied that their refuge is safe.
The mission of our organization, Beyond Four Walls (BFW) is
to build the capacity of the community to overcome vulnerability, dependence
and poverty by using participatory development approaches. So welcome to
partner with us in protecting, advocating for and supporting vulnerable people
ensuring that nothing interrupts the fulfilment of their God-given dreams.
If you manage to donate to social gatherings, you can also volunteer
your skills, and donate gifts, housing, equipment and money to support our
mission for the most vulnerable.
You can also join our Vulnerability and Disaster Management
Group through this link: https://web.facebook.com/groups/809549020780951
We welcome religious institutions, organizations, companies
and individuals to complement and support our efforts.
Remember that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are
registered as independent organizations and at the same time they complement
the government’s efforts so their goal is not just to criticize the government.
That is why these organizations are called NON-GOVERNMENTAL and not
ANTI-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.
We expect that by the end of October 2023, the full needs assessment
report will have been completed.
Our contacts:
Dr Lawi Mshana, Executive Director, +255 712-924234;
beyond4wallstanzania@gmail.com
Bank account name: Beyond Four Walls; Bank: CRDB; Account
number: 0133621816400
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