Safe spaces for children.

Good hope foundation creates safe spaces for children in Nyakiyumbu Sub County to protect themselves from all forms of violence during the school closure as result of covid-19 lock down

With the COVID-19 lock down and the actions taken to contain the spread of the pandemic such as school closure, disrupted the school activities as well as disrupting school going children and adolescent’s routines and support systems as it disrupted the skill-building activities and undermining their aspiration and empowerment. For purposes of ensuring children’s participation in the prevention of violence against children, Good Hope Foundation designed interventions at community level that empower these children with knowledge and skills to be able to protect themselves from violence during and after the lock down.

14 children’s safe spaces were formed at community level and were supported to organize different child to child activities in the safe spaces which helped in empowering children with knowledge and building confidence, self-esteem and resilience to mitigate all forms of violence against children and adolescents. Weekly learning and sharing discussions were organized at club level by the champion teachers and through these discussions, children were given an opportunity to learn and get knowledge about violence against children. They were also engaged in several skill building activities such as Debates, MDD, poems, games and sports, public speaking, as well as radio talk shows through which children were empowered with life skills such as problem solving, communication, confidence, assertive skills to be able to prevent violence against them, and also improving children’s abilities to express their views in regard to prevention of violence against children