Empowering Adolescents to deal with sexual violence and substance abuse
More than 25,000 adolescent boys and girls in Bombali now know how to deal with sexual violence and substance abuse in their schools and communities.
Makeni – Flanked by a group of enthusiastic adolescent boys and girls at the Baptist Junior Secondary School in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone, Isatu Kamara, an Alternative Disputes Resolution and Outreach Officer of the Legal Aid Board (LAB) echoed, “you must have zero tolerance for sexual violence and abuse and report any incident promptly!”
Isatu and her team were reaching out to adolescents in schools in Makeni to educate and sensitize them on prevention of sexual violence and drug abuse in school and the community, and other life skills as part of the Peace Building Fund project, “Promoting peaceful elections and social cohesion in Sierra Leone” in the aftermath of the general elections in Sierra Leone in 2023.
Describing her mission, Isatu noted, “We also reach out to adolescents in juvenile detention centres and in unplanned urban settlements with messages on substance abuse prevention and how to build peaceful and violence-free societies. These messages usually kindle their hopes and aspirations for a better future.” Isatu added, “We go to school assembly sessions in the mornings and use posters, banners, leaflets and interpersonal engagements to reinforce the messages of civic engagement and responsibility.”
According to the Sierra Leone Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2017, the percentage of children aged 1-14 years who experienced violent discipline at home increased from 64.8 per cent in 2010 to 86.5 per cent in 2017. Physical and sexual violence, abuse, early marriage and pregnancy is also prevalent.
To promote peace and maintain a violence-free society, UNICEF, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with support from the Peace Building Fund, is empowering young people with social life skills education to strengthen social cohesion in Sierra Leone through civic engagement and civil society partnership.
The first phase of the Peace Building Fund project focused mainly on creating a violence-free election period around June 2023. UNICEF partnered with the Legal Aid Board and other civil society partners to train over 120 Young Peace Ambassadors to disseminate messages of peace and political tolerance to their peers and communities for peaceful co-existence.
“As a result of the community outreach and messaging, more than 25,000 adolescents in 53 schools in Bombali District are now educated and sensitized on prevention of sexual violence and drug abuse and are willing to adopt positive behaviours,” Isatu said proudly as she privately spoke with an adolescent boy and girl under a mango tree in their school vicinity. “We also educate parents on adopting a non-violent approach to disciplining and interacting with their children so that they do not get in conflict with the law.”
Fifteen-year-old adolescent girl, Elizabeth Mansaray of Makeni, is one of the young people who have received messages on prevention of sexual violence, and she is knowledgeable and determined to succeed in her education by resisting sexual advances, teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
“We must put into practice the things we have learnt!”, Elizabeth exclaimed. “I will first of all avoid going to places that compromise my integrity and whenever I realize that I am being sexually harassed and intimidated, I will promptly report the issue to the appropriate authorities for action to be taken.”
As Isatu and her team leaves the school for another school, there was a high level of confidence and satisfaction among the adolescents for having acquired new skills in dealing with sexual violence, drug and substance abuse.
