It is wiser to find out than to suppose. - Mark Twain Nasarawa to launch campaign to end violence against children

Nasarawa is to launch a state-wide campaign to end violence against children in efforts to protect orphans and vulnerable children, nearly three years after President Muhammadu Buhari the nationwide End Violence Against Children (End-VAC) by 2030 campaign.

The campaign, expected to launch between July end and early August, is expected to involve all sectors, agencies and institutions that deal with children, and will constitute Nasarawa’s response plan to protect children.

Permanent Secretary of Nasarawa ministry of women affairs and social development, Asibi Ogabo blamed rising cases of violence against children on broken homes.

“Children found in this unfortunate incidence are left without parental love and care and at the mercy of whoever takes over the duty of taking care of them and in some instances it results to the children being pushed into the streets,” she said.

The ministry recently convened a workshop of security agencies, 10 civil society groups and social welfare departments across 10 council areas to develop the campaign.

It is part of the Sustainable Mechanism for Improving Livelihoods and Households Empowerment (SMILE), a five-year project funded by the US government to scale up care and support services for 600,000 orphans and vulnerable children and some 150,000 caregivers in 48 LGAs across Benue, Kogi, Edo, FCT and Nasarawa.

End-VAC is a global call using multisector approach, said Maryann Obidike, organisation development director at ActionAid, the lead implementer of SMILE.