Back to Index

Childline Zimbabwe News - Issue 1 / 2010
Childline - Zimbabwe
September 14, 2010

Download this document
- Acrobat PDF version (3.30MB)
If you do not have the free Acrobat reader on your computer, download it from the Adobe website by clicking here.

From the Director's desk

Childline Zimbabwe started 2010 as we ended 2009, with busy schedules of responding to reports of children being abused, training telephone helpline counsellors, & raising awareness in the community of our services, children's rights & the law within Zimbabwe to protect children from being abused & suffering harm.

Newly recruited volunteers resident in Bulawayo completed 2 weeks of training to prepare them for their role in assisting Childline to follow-up in their communities on referrals received via Childline's toll-free helpline. Childline Zimbabwe has been piloting a new method of programming, whereby volunteers are recruited, screened & trained in basic counselling skills. These volunteers are then responsible for directly assisting the qualified Social Workers employed by Childline to reach a greater number of vulnerable children in the quickest time possible. The volunteers conduct initial home visits within the communities they are residents within to verify whether the referral of a child being harmed is in fact true. These "community volunteers" strengthen the existing safety nets for children by providing assistance to the established child protection structures in their communities. For example, they report cases of abuse to the Department of Social Welfare Officer & Victim Friendly Unit Police Officers in their community. They work together with the School Head Teachers, Education Officers, the Health workers, clinics, etc in their communities providing counselling & monitoring the child's progress to ensure the child is safe from further harm. Their actions are guided by the national multi-sectoral referral protocol, linking the child with the relevant service & ensuring the child's needs are met so as to limit the impact of the abuse & harm caused to the child. The recruitment & training of community volunteers directly complements the work of the well-established telephone helpline & free postal service operating in Zimbabwe. In some areas the community volunteers have established "Dropin Centres" where children & community members can access free counselling, advice & guidance relating to matters of child abuse, neglect & exploitation. Given this developing initiative we are learning lessons everyday as to the best practice of these community-based Drop-in Centres.

Childline Zimbabwe continues to be the elected representative for the African Region on the Principles, Standards & Practices Taskforce of Childline Helplines International, the international membership body of all child helplines operating in the world. Therefore, we have directly contributed to the establishment of a new set of minimum standards. These standards provide a guide towards which Childline Zimbabwe is working towards, if we are not already fulfilling & meeting the minimum standards of operations.

Download full report

Visit the Childline fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP