Working as a Social Worker and Helping Save Lives.
A social worker, like doctors and judicial police officers, is often present in the hardest moments of those he/she accompanies. For nine years, Riantsoa Rakotoarimanana has been practicing this profession at the Vonjy Centre in Antananarivo.
A social worker, like doctors and judicial police officers, is often present in the hardest moments of those he/she accompanies. For nine years, Riantsoa Rakotoarimanana has been practicing this profession at the Vonjy Centre in Antananarivo.
Riantsoa Rakotoarimanana works at the Vonjy Centre, the centre for care of child victims of sexual violence since 2015. She is in charge of the psychosocial care of child victims of sexual violence and their families and describes her task as “great commitment.” “Our work requires us to remain objective towards the victims all the time, to master our emotions in front of the different emotional discharges of victims and accompanying persons,” she says.
This is a daily challenge and involves qualities that are built through experiences. “Empathy and positive listening require a good experience. Often here, the number of daily accompanied victims far exceeds our physical and psychological capacity,” says Riantsoa. She collaborates with another social worker and together, they care for more than a hundred cases per month. “Working as a professional with a degree in social work is a major asset. And fortunately, my husband and my two children understand and support me, which is another positive point,” she says. The risk of situations affecting personal family life is enormous.
Sexual violence against children has serious and lasting consequences on the physical and mental health of victims and on their educational, professional and emotional background. That is why, as soon as they arrive at the Vonjy Centre, the social assistant reassures the victims and their families. She strives to establish a relationship of trust – guarantor of the whole process of accompaniment – but also to promote the expression of feelings, the restoration of the relationship of trust between parents and children or the rehabilitation of self-esteem according to the victims’ healthy forces. The social worker also collaborates with other members of the Child Protection Network for reintegration activities at the family, school or community level.
Strengthening parental education
Today, the number of young victims of rape or other forms of sexual violence is increasing alarmingly. These are mainly young victims of child abuse or who choose to run away. The social worker pointed out the inadequacy of family support. These children seek affection in bad company, hence the importance of strengthening parental responsibility.
To limit the number of cases, Riantsoa Rakotoarimanana calls for the strengthening of parental education, as well as the prevention and self-protection activities for children and young people in the face of violence. Online violence, among others, is cited as a factor associated with sexual violence. She also calls for the recruitment of other social workers or social workers graduated by the Ministry of Health or Population to expand the team of the Vonjy centre.
“What I like about my job is to realize that a child who is victim of sexual violence and her parents are reaching the stage of resilience,” she continues. In 2023, thanks to their interventions, 982 child victims of sexual violence benefited from psychosocial support. 669 cases were referred to the “Law House”. 831 were successfully reintegrated into the school environment. 770 family accompaniments succeeded thanks to family mediation sessions, and finally 695 children and young people were able to benefit from sexuality education.
