Form One Stop Centre for GBV victims, Ministry directs region

MUGINI JACOB in Musoma

THE Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children has directed Mara Regional authorities to form a One Stop Centre that will serve victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Issuing the directive, the Ministry’s Deputy Minister, Dr Faustine Ndugulile recently at Mwisenge Secondary in Musoma, while launching a training progrmme to relieve schoolgirls from gender based violent activities, further ordered the area authorities to ensure that such centres are set up in all areas with high cases of GBV.

“The One Stop Centre would be speeding up service delivery to GBV victims. I am giving you three months to establish such centres,” added Dr Ndugulile.

He directed that such a centre should also be equipped to offer the services that any victim of GBV may need; adding that it was a measure the government was taking to tackle the menace in the country.

Dr Ndugulile hinted that equally the government has established about 500 Police Gender and Children Desks countrywide to address GBV and violence against children (VAC) cases, as part of its efforts to eliminate them.

He said he welcomed the training programme for it would enhance safe learning environment in schools.

The training programme would be implemented under the Waache Wasome (let them learn) under USAID funding in Tarime and Musoma Districts in Mara Region and Karatu District in Arusha Region.

The training programme is expected to reach 26,000 students and 1,300 teachers, according to the USAID Acting Mission Director, Ms Christine Djondo.

The programme was also praised that it would provide the girls with techniques and skills to tackle also other challenges which contribute in cutting short their education.

During various presentations, the participants cited the challenges as teenage pregnancies, and child marriages including some harmful traditional practices which are still common in the region like female genital mutilation (FGM).

In another development, the Deputy Minister cautioned male teachers against engaging in love affairs with their female students, saying that such acts are not acceptable and would not be tolerated by the government.

He thus, ordered State security agencies to make sure that stern measures are taken against any teacher, who would be found violating his directives.