Africa-Press – Botswana. Defilement and teenage pregnancy continue to be issues of great concern affecting Tsabong District.
In their effort to address the alarming rise of defilement cases Tsabong District Council launched its anti-defilement campaign , themed ‘speak out stop defilement’ to raise awareness and mobilise actions against defilement.
In her address during the launch Botswana Gambling Authority Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Mopati Rammekwa noted that the fight against defilement and teenage pregnancy required collective efforts of individuals, families, communities and all stakeholders.
Ms Rammekwa shared the alarming statistics, highlighting that Tsabong District had registered over hundred cases of defilement in a space of two years. She highlighted that Tsabong was leading with 65 cases while the remaining 35 cases were from surrounding villages.
She emphasised the importance of speaking out against defilement saying “speaking out against is not merely an act of responsibility it is an act of heroism”.
She further stressed the critical role of raising voices and ensuring that the chains of silence and secrecy that allowed the crime to persist for so long were broken. Speaking out does not only involve reporting an incident of defilement to the authorities, it means starting conversations in your homes, schools and communities she said.
Ms Rammekwa also pointed out that speaking out was also about teaching children their rights and empowering them to speak out whenever they found themselves in vulnerable situations. She further stressed that abusers should be confronted no matter who they were and the victims should be given the compassion and support they needed to rebuild their lives.
Moreover, she said educating communities about the importance of supporting victims of defilement was equally critical as many survivors of abuse faced a lifetime of trauma and emotional scars.
She urged the gathering to recognise the importance of speaking out because silence enabled defilement to thrive.
“When we speak out, we break the chains of secrecy and bring crime to light, where it can be addressed and eradicated”, she said.
Mr Mosimanegape Mogorosi,Tsabong District council secretary, echoed the concerns and emphasised the urgent need to combat the raising cases of defilement in the region and work towards eradicating it.
“Our initiative is rooted in the belief that no child should suffer the trauma of abuse, we want to create an environment where children are feel safe and protected,” he said.
He explained that objectives of the campaign were raising awareness, empowering victim, advocating for stronger policies, educational outreach and providing support services. The campaign he said was focusing on informing the community about the prevalence of defilement and its impact, encouraging those affected to seek help and to speak out.
Mr Mogorosi further noted that the campaign was aimed at teaching children, parents, community members to recognise, prevent and report abuse. He further called for collaboration amongst parents, teachers, children together with law authorities to take part in the fight against defilement. He encouraged children to speak out and report instances of abuse.
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