Government urges collaboration on child protection, positive parenting

DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to promote positive parenting and equip parents and caregivers with the skills needed to protect young people from challenges affecting their development and wellbeing.

The call was made yesterday in Dar es Salaam by the Assistant Director of Social Welfare Services at the Prime Ministers Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Zainab Kitembe, during an event to present the implementation report of the Furaha Teens Programme.

The programme, implemented by World Vision Tanzania in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has already been implemented in Dar es Salaam, Songwe and Zanzibar, and is now being implemented in Tabora.

Ms Kitembe called for the programme to be expanded to other regions through local government authorities, saying it has played an important role in helping parents gain knowledge about positive parenting, particularly at a time when young people are increasingly exposed to challenges associated with the widespread use of social media and other communication platforms.

“Young people are now deeply engaged in communication networks. There are many things they learn through these platforms, so this programme helps parents understand how to communicate with their children and support them in their development and upbringing,” she said.

Ms Kitembe, hailed the programme for increasing the involvement of men in parenting, with both parents working together to provide young people with the education and guidance they need to cope with challenges such as joining risky peer groups, violence and issues that may affect their mental health.

She said the government needed more stakeholders to come forward and support the expansion of the programme to regions that had not yet been reached, noting that young people across the country face similar challenges.

Ms Kitembe said the Government was also committed to ensuring the programme continued after the project implementation period ended by exploring ways of incorporating it into local government development plans.

“Coordinators responsible for sustainable planning in councils can explore how to incorporate this programme into their plans and ensure that its implementation continues,” she said.

World Vision Tanzania’s Furaha Teens Co-ordinator, John Kigahe, said the programme aimed to bring about positive changes in parenting at both family and community levels.

He said the programme had reached more than 42,000 people through face to face meetings and digital platforms, while more than 17,900 people had been reached through community dialogues.

For her part, Jacqueline Namfua of UNICEF Tanzania said the organisation continued to work with the government, World Vision, WeWorld and other stakeholders to strengthen child protection and prevent violence against children at home, in schools and within the wider community.

She urged those who had already received training through the Furaha Teens Programme to share the knowledge with relatives, friends and neighbours in order to reach more people.

The Furaha Teens Programme seeks to strengthen relationships between parents, caregivers and young people aged 10 to 17 through positive parenting, open communication, non-violent discipline, emotional regulation and the creation of safer family environments.

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Speaking about the changes he had experienced after participating in the programme, Buza resident Abdallah Salehe said that before joining Furaha Teens, he used to spend time in unsafe gathering places and with groups that exposed young people to risks.

“Previously, I used to hide in unsafe areas. I did not know that spending time in such places could put young people at risk, but through this programme I have learnt that it is better to spend time in places such as mosques, where I can learn positive messages. I can now speak more freely with my parents compared with before the programme,” he said.