Learning about child protection saved Muna's life

Friday, April 17, 2015

Grant project name: Child Protection System Building (CPSB) in Sunsari and Udayapur districts
Funded by: United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID-PPA)

Project goal: Children and communities, especially the most vulnerable and those in the poorest or most fragile contexts, are cared for and protected.

Purpose: The project focuses on strengthening formal and informal systems from local to national level in child protection. The project also develops the resilience of the most vulnerable children and communities to abuse, neglect, exploitation and other forms of violence.

The project also develops the resilience of the most vulnerable children and communities to abuse, neglect, exploitation and other forms of violence.

To achieve these two objectives, the project emphasises capacity building of formal organisations, such as the Central Child Welfare Board, District Child Welfare Board, the Village Child Protection and Promotion sub-Committee, and the police.

The project also works in an informal context by providing training and orientation for children’s clubs, mothers’ groups and helpline operatives, as well as other NGOs, community-based organisations, teachers, health workers and communities.

In addition, the project provides training and orientation to children on life skills, child protection and child rights to increase their resilience to abuse, neglect and violence in their communities. Partnerships with private sector organisations, such as the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, media companies and hotels have helped raise awareness of child protection.

The project covers 13 Village Development Committees in Sunsari and Udayapur districts in Nepal and is being implemented in partnership with District Child Welfare Boards at the district level and Village Child Protection and Promotion Committees at the community level.

To date, it has reached 4,212 children, 3,619 stakeholders and 7,356 community members through its interventions.

MEET muna, A young woman BENEFITTING FROM THIS PROJECT:

Unloved and bereaving, Muna led a very painful life until World Vision transformed her outlook and inspired her to teach other young people her newfound knowledge to protect children from all forms of abuse.

When her mother fell ill, Muna was sent to her uncle’s house in the hope she would receive better care. But instead the relatives of the girl, who was then in grade three and is from Nepal’s eastern Sunsari district, forced her to work and subjected her to physical violence.

Muna didn’t reveal the abuse to her parents because her mother’s condition had deteriorated and she didn’t want to worsen the already difficult time. Tragically, her mother then died, so Muna went back to live with her father, who soon remarried – but her fate was the same.

Muna’s life changed when she was in grade 10 and joined a World Vision-backed children’s club.

With their new son taking all their attention, her father and stepmother began mistreating her, ignoring her and her wishes. Scolded for things she hadn’t done and unable to study properly, Muna felt worthless and thought no one would ever love her. And as the pain continued, she considered suicide.

Muna’s life changed when she was in grade 10 and joined a World Vision-backed children’s club, at which she learned about the protection, rights and abuse of young people. She says the knowledge was a revelation and opened a world of opportunities as she started talking to people and gained new confidence.

Thanks to the training, Muna has stood up to abuse several times on public transport, at school from a teacher and at home from her father’s friend. “I understand speaking up is the first step to defend yourself,” she says. “If you keep quiet, you’ll always be exploited.”

“I understand speaking up is the first step to defend yourself,” she says.

The teenager’s father and stepmother have also changed their attitudes, treating their daughter well after they took part in World Vision’s training for parents. Meanwhile, Muna has landed a job at a local radio station, where she presents a programme for young listeners to share her new understanding of life.

As one of World Vision’s community volunteers, Muna meets with local children every Saturday to promote child rights and protection and share her love of song, dance and poetry. The children trust her and tell her their problems.

“She’s from our community, so we feel comfortable sharing our problems with her. She knows a lot,” says a female member of her group. “The boys tease us and send unwanted messages to our mobile phones, so we asked her for help.”

Aspiring to be a social worker to professionally care for children in the future, 17-year-old Muna is already supporting four orphans with the money she makes and is a wonderful role model for the children who love her.