The police and social workers spoke to learners of Van Stadens Dam Primary School at Charl Cilliers about children’s rights on Thursday, September 16.
Const Millicent Mqoco and Ms Themba Hlophe and Ms Beauty Mabunda, two social workers from Sphephile Haven centre for abused women and children, addressed the Grade 6 and 7 learners.
“We believe that to build a better future, our kids need to know that for every right there is a responsibility. The right to education means the responsibility to study, and the right not to be abused coincides with the responsibility to report the abuse,” said Const Mqoco.
The team also talked about heritage and the importance of culture and respecting other people’s beliefs. They said heritage should be celebrated without discrimination of language, culture or the colour of your skin.
“We then linked this to the topic of bullying where we addressed issues of body shaming and name-calling.
“We also touched on gender-based violence,” said Const Mqoco.
The children were asked what they thought about GBV how they would rectify the fact that society thinks GBV is the abuse only against women and children.
The team then distributed sanitary towels among the boys who then had to pass them on as a sign of building a better society and that they must respect women.
“It was also to teach the boys not to be afraid to talk about their feelings.
“The saying that real men donְ’t cry have caused many men to bottle up their feelings since a young age and then at a later stage, their anger explodes and it is, unfortunately, the partners in their lives who suffer the consequences.”
Const Mqoco said their last message to the learners was that education is the key to a better future and that with determination they can realise their dreams.
