Nairobi — Delegates from across Africa and partners from Europe and USA have laid out a framework on child protection challenges and solutions in Africa, in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
This was in a gathering convened by the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network - Africa (JENA) of the Jesuit Conference on Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) in collaboration with The Vatican COVID-19 Commission - Africa Taskforce, The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of East and Southern Africa (AMECEA) and the Catholic Care for Children (CCC).
First on their onslaught was how best to protect children from various forms of violence, harm and abuse in the face of Coronavirus Pandemic.
"The COVID-19 crisis and its impacts provide an opportunity for rethinking child protection," said Fr Charles Chilufya, Director, JENA.
"The pandemic has exposed significant gaps in theories and practices of child protection when analyzed from various contemporary perspectives, whether theological, scientific, cultural or social," he continued.
The conference formulated recommendations in the form of operative theology and practical strategies regarding child protection that are faithful to God's will and purposes.
Even though children have not been the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are probably among the largest proportion of its victims.
"The immense challenges that the COVID-19 global pandemic has brought to this region of the world has sharpened our thinking and made the need for deep reflection on how we care for and protect the most vulnerable in our societies ever more important," observed Bishop Charles Kasonde, President, AMECEA.
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Children, of all ages, and in all countries, have been affected by the disease itself, particularly the socio-economic impacts and, in some cases, mitigation measures that have inadvertently done more harm than good.
"How we care for and safeguard children must be at the heart of that discernment," Bishop Kasonde stated.
The pandemic is a universal crisis affecting all countries and peoples but for some children - especially in Africa - its impact is more specific to them and some of the impacts will be lifelong.
In attendance were child protection experts representing the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.
Other partners were religious organizations such as the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK), the Association of The Religious in Uganda (ARU), Changing the Way We Care and the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods.
Also in attendance were representatives from UNICEF, World Bank, US State Department officials and USAID.
