MULEBA District Commissioner, Dr Abel Nyamahanga has called upon parents and family members to take necessary steps to safeguard the welfare of children and ensure they get proper upbringing from the grassroots level and enrol them in school.
This follows a recent incident where two children from the same family died on the spot after they were buried alive while excavating sand.
They were identified as Samuel Egidius (13) and Aron Egidius (10), who were in Standard Four and Standard Two at Magata Primary School.
Mr Nyamahanga who visited the site at Magata village on Tuesday ordered the immediate closure of the sand pit.
He also directed leaders and parents in the area to ensure that they do not allow their children to go alone in the mining activities or sand excavation for their safety.
He explained that the government was committed to ensuring that acts of violence against children are brought to an end, calling for joint efforts from all stakeholders to end the vice.
“Some of the children were neglected, forcing them to live in streets begging, while others were not attending school and some of them were raped. Investigations revealed that major perpetrators include relatives and neighbours,” he said.
“Several studies show that 60 per cent of acts of violence against children occur at home. The studies further reveal that those who commit acts of violence are family members. The highest challenge of dealing with violence against children is the silence and the habit of resolving and ending cases clandestinely at family level,” he added.
Tanzania has made commendable steps in enacting policies and laws that protect children rights, including Child Right Act,2009 and National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAMWC 2017/18-2021/22), which aims at protecting and maintaining the welfare of a child and addressing violence against women and children in the country.
Day in day out, the youth are reminded that they are the future leaders of the country and a lot of emphasis is being put in projects to enable them become educated, fight poverty and live decent lives.
With the government spending billions of shillings and efforts to address their challenges, parents and guardians must realize that first it is their responsibility to groom children, who would be patriotic and shun/loathe crime.
