SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL

GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE

SUMMIT AND AWARDS
28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG,
RESPONSE

SOUTH AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER
VIOLENCE: HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”

LESOTHO CHILD
COUNSELLING UNIT
 HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT IDENTIFYING
THIS PROBLEM?

• The escalating rates of reported cases of abuse on

radio.
RESPONSE

• Cases of abused children spoken by community

members such as villagers, school teachers.

• We realized the long term effects of abuse, which

propelled us as an organization to bring change.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING

UNIT
 IS THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT?

• Indeed, it cuts across gender, culture, age,

religion, health, including economic status.
RESPONSE

• It also affects human development

(physically, emotionally, mentally and
spiritually).

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 HOW ARE YOU GOING ABOUT
ADDRESSING THI S PROBLEM?

• Our organisation provides a place of safety, including

basic needs such as food and clothing to the affected
survivors (children).
RESPONSE

• Prevention (which creates awareness of the problem)

through community outreach programmes such as
campaigns, training workshops, debates, child welfare
forums child focused groups, children rights corner.

• Treatment (psychological treatment for the survivors,

family and community through different therapies).

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 WHAT IS THE TIME-FRAME FOR THE
PROJECT?

• Abuse is an on-going problem which we

started addressing since 2001.
RESPONSE

• We are still continuing with the work

because this issue of abuse will always
be there as long as humans exist.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 WHO IS THE KEY TARGET? WHO IS
INVOLVED? ARE WOMEN AND MEN
EQUALLY INVOLVED?
• Children and their families.
• The community is involved through voluntary
RESPONSEE

services and engaging children in traditional

activities.
• Men and women are equally involved.
However, need for women empowerment
with regard to decision making in the family.
If the men is economically advantaged, he
makes prominent decisions in the family

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 PARTNERSHIPS FORMED THROUGH THE
PROJECT

• Non-Governmental Organisation Coalition

• Justice (magistrate)
RESPONSE

• Probation Unit
• National Aids commission
• District child protection team (such as CGPU,DSW)
• Chiefs and community councilor
• International institutions (Ohio and Boston universities)
• Individuals.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 RESOURCEFULNESS: WHAT FINANCIAL,
HUMAN AND OTHER RESOURCES WERE
MOBILISED?
• Human resources (employed staff members
and volunteers)
RESPONSE

• Community members (engaging in cleaning

campaigns).
• Financial support (donors; both local and
international) and individuals, we do income
generating activities such, office rental, cards
making, agricultural activities (planting of
mushrooms). This helps to meet basic needs.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

• Received training and we designed

monitoring and evaluation tool.
RESPONSE

• We also apply our strategic plan to

enable us to track progress
effectively).

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 WHAT RESULTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED?

• The organization was established in 2001 and we are celebrating our 10 years
anniversary in November the 19th 2011. Which is international day on child
abuse.
• We have had 1520 cases of abused children.
RESPONSE

• Two thirds of those cases are reintegrated back into the community, hence,
positive results achieved.
• Awards:
 South African care and support initiative award (EDCON)
 Vodacom hall of fame award.

• We are the only organisation in Lesotho that provides psychological treatment

for children and their families.
• Represented Lesotho in local, regional and international forums.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 IMPACT (BASED ON THE SADC
PROTOCOL TARGETS)
• Article 15-19 : We created employment for unemployed community members
(house mothers). Provided skills to women in the community , engaging them in art
work (card making).
• Article 20-25: Temporary place of safety, treatment and prevention programmes.
RESPONSE

• Article 27: shelter, psychological treatment and education and adherence to

medication for children who are infected and affected with HIV and AIDS
• Article 28: build peace and reconciliation between perpetrator and survivor.

• Article 29-31: share information to radio, television and newspaper slots. Produce
weekly columns for local newspapers

• Article 32-36: members of DCPT. We have collective reports that contribute to

development of policies and laws pertaining to children's issues.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 EFFECTIVENESS

Project is effective:
There’s been positive feedback from the community:
RESPONSE

• The increasing cases referred to the organization.

• Recognition we received from networking partners
particularly government and international bodies.
• Our uniqueness of dealing with exclusive cases of abuse
such as child trafficking, in which we have a qualified
clinical psychologist to tackle those cases.
• We are able to exercise reunification process and peace
and reconciliation programme.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION

• It is sustainable, it can be replicated by

others, considering the fact that
RESPONSE

violence especially against women and

children is a world wide problem that
needs a multi sectoral approach to
address. If the problem is not tackle,
this can affect development of children
and humanity as a whole.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 LESSONS LEARNED

• It is important to enshrine human rights to the entire

project.
• Community needs to be more sensitive to gender
RESPONSE

based violence, through education programmes

designed by the community itself.
• Children exposed to abuse, directly or indirectly
become future abusers, because they have learned the
behaviour, hence, practice it.
• Community should be on the for front in reviving old
good practices such as a child in the African culture
belonged to the entire community.

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING UNIT

 WHY IS THERE A DOUBLE STANDARD
RESPONSE

IN DEALING WITH ISSUES OF MEN

AND WOMEN?

LESOTHO CHILD COUNSELLING

UNIT