Arusha — ARUSHA: In efforts to save pupils or students from violence against them, the Iyana Foundation has conducted special awareness training sessions for teachers and parents in Arusha urban district.

Cases of child violence are becoming rampant in Arusha and Tanzania as whole, with some incidents leading to deaths and injuries among the minors.

"We have decided to conduct these series of training to try and gather more views, options and possible solutions in addressing the situation," stated Prisca Lema, Director of Iyana Foundation.

She said her foundation in conjunction with the UZIKWASA organization from Pangani, Tanga, have made a joint mission to work together with teachers, the police, parents, community leaders, education officers and social welfare officers to combat violence against children.

The training sessions have been conducted in three wards in Arusha Region, including Elerai, Kimandolu and City Centre.

There were total of 128 participants in the training sessions.

The organizers are also collecting testimonies from teachers and social welfare officers who tried to stand out against violence against children, many of whom ended up being targeted people by the offenders to an extent of risking their very lives.

Representatives from the Gender and Children Desk at the Regional Police Headquarters also admitted that many people who reported cases of violence against children were threatened, a situation which discouraged them from continuing to cooperate with the police in fighting such issues.

"Child and Gender Based Violence has become a national disaster, we need countrywide dialogue to see ways of eliminating this vice altogether," said Christoper Mausa Tairo, the chairperson of parents committee at the Arusha Secondary School.

Last year alone, the country recorded 4397 cases of children being sexually defiled to the extent of being badly hurt, by mostly people close to them- relatives, guardians and even mentors.