Spreading the 'keep children safe' message

sportanddev spoke with Amina Kheri of Save the Children Zanzibar who delivered many of the awareness raising workshops to find out more about it.

sportanddev: What is your role here at the East Africa Cup?
Amina Kheri: We are working with the different groups, members and delegates who are attending the cup just to make sure we communicate the keeping children safe message and to minimise the risks of abuse to the children that are coming to participate in the event.

sportanddev: How did Save the Children get involved in the East Africa Cup?
A.K: The East Africa Cup organising committee had approached Save the Children. They felt that it (child protection) was one of the gaps. There weren’t any written child safeguarding measures in place, they were just taking measures.

sportanddev: How have you been communicating the message?
A.K: We have banners on codes of conduct and we also have other smaller posters that have the code of conduct, the reporting procedure if abuse happens and where to report abuse, and we also have some other messages. One is against physical abuse of the children; one is avoiding sexual relationships with children. The other is treating all people equal and avoiding discrimination during the event.

sportanddev: Other than the posters, has there been anything else to get these message out there?
A.K: One of the methods we use in protecting children is creating awareness. This awareness raising message is just to have people on the same page. We started working with the organising committee, then the caterers, the security guards, the team leaders, the field managers, and even the Norwegian summer team and the secretariat. It has covered everyone, including a small session with the children at a cultural evening.

sportanddev: Have there been any challenges?
A.K: Generally they [the messages] have been well received. There are certain issues which have created lots of discussion, like talk of corporal punishment but, overall, people thought this very useful.

sportanddev: What next?
A.K: We will have an evaluation session, because even the policy that we drafted was only meant for 2013, but the cup will be going on. We will re-visit that, if there is anything we can add so that this policy becomes part of the East Africa Cup for the years to come.