SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO –Following a spate of child abuse cases in the country, Masvingo Teachers’ College Pre-school located between Phoenix Police Camp and Remand Prison has taken it upon itself to educate learners, parents and teachers on sexual abuse matters.
The pupils spent the whole day last week with the Masvingo Police’s Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) being taught on issues of sexual abuse which have become rampant in the country especially on children by close family or friends with some falling pregnant as a result.
Masvingo Teachers’ College Pre-school head, Pauline Ngirazi said that what pushed them to invite the police to speak to their pupils was to help the learners understand that abuse can be done by people who are close to them and those that surround them hence the need to teach them so that they know when they are being violated.
“As a school we have made an initiative to invite the local police from the VFU to speak to our pupils so that they learn forms of child abuse as they are the ones that are mostly affected.
“This has also been neccessitated by an upsurge in cases of child abuse in the country with some children being made pregnant at as early as 8 years old something that is very disheartening especially when you personally know the chid as they would have passed through your hands at your school,” said Ngirazi.
She went on to say that they also extended the invitation to the parents so that they also learn how to check on their children everytime and again for possible signs of sexual abuse and to also have an appreciation of the behaviour patterns of their children.
Assistant Inspector Memory Chirambadare who led the VFU team told the pupils to speak out if anyone violated their bodies be it sexually, physically or even emotionally and told them not to be afraid since the police is there to protect them and arrest those that violate their rights.
Chirambadare was accompanied by other two Constables Maud Dzokota and Kudzai Mukwenya.
