Grassy Park community unites in silent protest to mark Child Protection Week

To mark Child Protection Week, a silent protest took place at Grassy Park on Saturday May 25.PHOTO: Supplied

• The Grassy Park Community Policing Forum (CPF) and various community organizations recently held a silent protest to mark Child Protection Week.
• Participants, including children and adults, held signs calling on the community to speak out against child abuse and protect vulnerable children.
• Logra Civic emphasized the importance of parental vigilance and community involvement.

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“It takes a village to raise a child,” says Nicole Jacobus, vice president of the Grassy Park Community Policing Forum (CPF), who joined a silent protest to mark Child Protection Week.

Grassy Park CPF, in conjunction with the Grassy Park Police Youth Bureau, Junior Commissioners (a group of young people who play an active role in launching education and awareness campaigns on issues that affect security Learners), Salvation Army and Lotus River, Ottery, Grassy Park Ratepayers and Residents Association (Logra Civic) held a silent protest at various intersections in Grassy Park on Saturday 25 May to mark the week .

“Children have become targets of unscrupulous people who exploit them for nefarious activities,” says Jacobus.

Holding signs with the words “No Excuses, Report Child Abuse” and “Love Us,” children and adults stood up silently to highlight the importance of protecting children.

Jacobus encouraged children to never be afraid to speak up if someone hurts them.

“Don’t let abuse go unnoticed and unchallenged. There are people and institutions available to help you, so talk about them.

She reminded parents and community organizations that every individual has a duty to protect children.

“Everyone in the community has a role to play, but children are often seen unsupervised on the streets. This cannot continue in the face of kidnappings and people hurting our children. We call on our community and our parents, in particular, to take every precaution to keep our children out of danger.

Close eyes

Jacobus’ advice to parents is to keep a close eye on their children and have a caring, empathetic ear to listen to them.

“We call on parents to be attentive when their child speaks. Sometimes they say things and get your attention with their body language.

“Listen when your child is hurting and look out for the children in our communities. Sometimes children act out because they are neglected and their concerns are ignored. Children should be heard, not hurt.

Meanwhile, Logra civic secretary Shona Arendse said it was important for organizations to work together for child protection.

“Our participation in Child Protection Week aims to create a place of protection and safety for our children who are often easy and vulnerable targets,” she said. “It is imperative to highlight child protection to all stakeholders and this is an objective of the Logra and Grassy Park Empowerment Forum (GPEF). »

Arendse emphasized that one of the most important aspects of child protection is for all organizations to be united.