Arma is 7. Veronica is 11. Vivian is 15. Aisha is 10. Hawa was 12. All five girls are Liberian and all five were sexually abused. Child sexual abuse is a silent epidemic around the globe with UNICEF research indicating 294 million children under the age of 18 who have been sexually abused. Statistics estimate at least five girls are sexually abused every day in Liberia (according to reported cases only).*
For many Liberian girls, the violence they experienced during wartime continues. Early age marriages, sexual assault, and forced prostitution, are some of the types of sexual and gender-based violence being combatted in communities.
Saprea, a global nonprofit focused on liberating individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts, is partnering with My Watchman™, a tech4good company, headquartered in Monrovia, Liberia, to work collaboratively on innovative healing resources to be shared in various channels including, in-app, learning events, and community outreach. My Watchman™ is an emergency response app that provides reliable and affordable emergency response services to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds via a 24/7 emergency response network and an emergency dispatch command center, in lieu of a 911 system.
Liberian Ambassador George S. W. Patton, Sr., lauded the partnership as innovative and stated, "this exciting new partnership between a Liberian technology company, My Watchman™ and Saprea will bring much needed resources and healing to the people of Liberia."
Also in attendance was Bior Bropleh, the Executive Director of Liberian Association of Metro Atlanta (LAMA). For his part, Mr. Bropleh stated that Liberians in Georgia are uniquely poised to leverage immense opportunities for the betterment of our native home, Liberia, and his goal is to implement strategies to enable just that. He continued that he was delighted about the partnership established between Converged Advanced Technologies and Saprea and look forward to the benefits that will unfold for Liberians in the Diaspora and back home.
Saprea and My Watchman™, along with other identified critical collaborators, will deploy these resources as it recruits and trains Liberian volunteers. The approach will be phased over a set time to ensure the resources are well-received and serve as a major component of broader solutions being implemented within Liberia.
Liberia is a small country on the West African coast with an estimated population of 5 million with more than 80 percent living below the international poverty line. "We know our resources work and are thrilled to provide them to those who need them the most," said Saprea Managing Director Chris Yadon.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Our goal is to bridge the gap in critical emergency and social response services in developing countries," said CEO Oliver Wleh Klark Jr., whose own experience inspired him to develop The Watchman app. "We are excited to add Saprea's services to our app. Saprea's resources will be invaluable to those who have survived the trauma of child sexual abuse." * Source: New Voices Fellows Aspen Institute
About Saprea [pronounced Sa-pree-a]
Saprea exists to liberate individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts. We provide healing educational retreats in Utah and Georgia, survivor support groups around the world, and online healing resources for women who were sexually abused as children or teens. We also provide online prevention resources and community education courses/materials for parents and caregivers to reduce the risk of abuse impacting the children in their lives. Learn more at saprea.org.
About Advanced Converged Technologies, LLC
My Watchman™ is a mobile emergency response app that provides 24/7 access to critical emergency services such as medical, security, fire, sexual and domestic violence in Liberia. Its goal is to bridge the gap in critical emergency and social response services in developing countries. Its prices are targeting people living on less than $2 per day and its services are reliable.
