Sexual Assault Crisis Response for Ugandan Orphans

A community sensitization training was held to discuss sexual and gender based violence.  The training was led by Nyaka’s social worker, John, who educated community members about the topic.  There were 75 people in attendance and was comprised of community members, local leaders and religious leaders.  The goal of the community sensitization training was to create awareness on sexual and gender based violence in the village due to the increased cases of sexual assaults reported to the police.

Those who attended were informed about the role each of them can play in addressing sexual abuse accusations.  They were encouraged to always report sexual abuse rumors to their local leaders and the police.  They were discouraged from taking the law into their own hands.  Attendees were also taught about the procedures law enforcement should follow when handing sexual assault cases.  Many of the community members were not aware of how these cases are handled.  Some of the women in the group shared their personal experiences on sexual assault and how they did not receive help from authorities when they reported their cases.  It’s important to follow up with their reported cases to ensure that the police are doing their job and that the case is running smoothly in the court processes.

There is still a need for more community sensitizations trainings in the future.  Many other people in the community can benefit from being sensitized about sexual and gender based violence.  There is still a low reporting rate from men who are sexually abused because of the stigma of weakness attached to it.  Children can also profit from a training like this to better understand warning signals and how to avoid vulnerable situations.  

Thank you for supporting the fight agaist sexual assualt!

Links:

• Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project Website