A CSO, Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre (CAC), and its partners in a recent workshop to commemorate Day of the African Child held in Lagos, called on the government, individuals, CSOs, CBOs, religious organisations, community influencers etc to join force in protecting the dignity, safety and rights of every child. They called for an end to abuse and exploitation of Child Domestic Workers (CDWs) working in homes and other facilities. The public is also enjoined to report cases of abuse or exploitation through the child helpline: 0-800-800-800-1. Every child deserves to live a dignified life.
Speaking during the workshop, CEO, Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre, Bisi Ajayi-Kayode said, “Cece Yara represents a one-stop response of professional services to child sexual abuse, to support children who have been sexually abused or at risk with the provision of a free 24-7 tool, free medical, legal, psychosocial, forensic interview, shelter services and awareness prevention training”.
She said, “This programme is to give clarity, capacity building for participants represented so they can step into society on the plight of child domestic workers, to mitigate exploitation of child domestic workers, to preserve the lives and destinies of children who are in bondage of child domestic work”.
Commenting on the theme, Beyond Households Labour: Protecting the Dignity, Safety and Rights of Every Child, Ajayi-Kayode said, “Child domestic work at times is slavery, although not all of them, so that we help the active bystanders to be able to resonate with the plight of child domestic workers and give better outcomes to their situation”.
In addition, the Executive Coordinator, Bimbo Adekoya Foundation and Lagos state Coordinator, Child Protection Network, an initiative of UNICEF, Aderonke Oyelakin said, “What we do is to prevent and respond to all forms of child protection concerns. But Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre is our partner, and they have been doing this excellent work over the years”.
According to Oyelakin, “When it comes to child domestic workers, the Child Rights Law of Lagos state does not accept that any child should be exploited in any form, and we are saying zero tolerance to all forms of child labour, and that is why it is very key for stakeholders: the governments, CSOs, everyone must ensure that children are allowed to be children. Children have rights, and these rights must be protected. This right must be a paramount priority for every stakeholder. And I’m happy that Cece Yara is doing this, amongst other partners, to ensure that children that are experiencing any form of child labour, or their inexpective positions are set free”.
Also, Head of Social Work and Safeguarding for Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre, Aziz Ajifowoke said, “We organised Day of African Child in commemoration of the World Day of African Child. This project is sponsored by Freedom Fund and funded by Gift of the US Government. it is part of activities ongoing under the Nigeria Hotspot Programme – Addressing Exploitative Child Domestic Work
Our position is, when you notice that a child is not safe in an environment, it is all our responsibility to report the case, knowing that government, NGOs and CSOs cannot do it alone. We are mandated to report. There is a mandatory reporter policy established by the government. ‘If you say something, you say something’. So when we see that a child is being exploited, or is at risk of being exploited, we have Cece Yara, government and other NGOs, that we can always report to for action. When we see something like that, we can always escalate it, and the child will get appropriate help that he or she needs”.
Continuing, Ajifowoke said, “Since the establishment of Cece Yara, we have rescued more than 5,000 children from an offending environment. Any form of abuse, especially domestic, child domestic workers, which is why we organised this programme”.
In the same vein, Programme Manager, Centre for the Advancement and Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable People, Barrister Ngozi Arinze, said, “The discussion still revolves around child domestic worker, exploitative child domestic worker. These children are human beings, they should enjoy the special rights accorded children under our child protection laws. The focus in this programme is in commemoration of the African child during the history concerning the African child. It is all about the right to equal education back in South Africa, that these children should enjoy the rights that other South Africans who are of the white race enjoy”.
