Campaign to stop violence against children

Child abuse in Kenya had reached unacceptable levels, with sexual abuse being "especially shocking", the United Nations said on Thursday at the launch of a national campaign to end violence against children. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said 89 percent of rapes of children were committed by family members or close family friends. A Kenyan child was the guest of honour at the launch, held in the capital's largest slum, Kibera. Cynthia Kabata, 11, called on all parties at the launch and in the wider community to support the campaign. "Stop this violence against us because we are tomorrow’s leaders," she said, suggesting that if adults could follow the new traffic laws, they could follow the rules on how to treat children. "Parents, teachers and brothers all violate children, especially girls." Kabata's message was received with a standing ovation. The initiative, led by the Kenya government's Children's Department in partnership with UNICEF Kenya, civil society, religious groups and the private sector, aims to raise 100 million Kenya shillings (US $1.4 million) for programmes to protect at least 500,000 children and women affected by violence and to inform the wider population. Heimo Lakkonnen, UNICEF representative in Kenya, said: "The level of violence against children has reached totally unacceptably levels in Kenya. The level of sexual violence is especially shocking." Kenya's Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs, Moody Awori, launched the campaign by sending off the 'Stop Violence Bus', which will travel around the country to raise awareness. The bus will carry information packs covering the services that are available to help abused children, and information on what to do when a child has been raped. Awori said that violence against children was a daily occurrence in the country and often happened at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them. Sexual abuse was a particular issue that needed to be tackled. He also called for the media to focus on the campaign for the promotion and protection of child rights. The key to dealing with the issue was communication, said Lakkonnen. "We need to get people talking, to break the silence around violence and make sure that everyone knows where to go to get help." He suggested safe schools and community policing to make sure the streets are safe, access to justice and responsive health services to help victims of rape, access to anti-retroviral treatment to help prevent transmission of HIV, among others. ALSO SEE: ‘Broken bodies — broken dreams: violence against women exposed’ IRIN stories on children sm/mw