The Edmund Rice Eldoret Empowerment Program (EREEP) recognises that primary schools are appropriate and effective sites for child safeguarding education. Although knowledge of teachers regarding abuse is reasonably good, in practice only few feel confident in handling these issues, hence making effective safeguarding education in schools vital for prevention and identifying warning-signs of abuse as well as seeking help for survivors. Teachers have significant insight into how children develop, behave and interact with others and are likely to notice signs of abuse. Education on this issue assists them in supporting children on how to protect themselves and advising them on where and how they can get help.
Mrs. Kiptoo, one of the school teachers shares that: “My greatest lesson is to follow-up on my students who drop out or miss school especially girls who drop out or attend irregularly to find out what the problem is and see how to help to ensure the problem does not continue.”
Through these trainings teachers understand children’s rights as human rights and have been empowered to create awareness in the community including by discussing child rights issues with the parents in parent/teacher meetings. Through ERFA’s support EREEP was able to pioneer this project in Langas for primary school teachers.
