Kween Operationalizes Child Protection Committee to Combat SGBV Against Children with Disabilities
KWEEN – Sabiny Transformation Initiative (STI), in partnership with the Uganda National Action on Physical Disability (UNAPD), has functionalized the Kween District Multi-Sectoral Child and Youth Protection Committee to strengthen community efforts in preventing and responding to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) against children and youth with disabilities.
The initiative is being implemented under the UNAPD-led project, “Silence to Action and from Fear to Empowerment against SGBV among Children and Youth with Disabilities in Eastern Uganda.”
The committee, established in collaboration with the Kween District Local Government, brings together 16 statutory and non state actions in health, justice/law enforcement, education and child protection to coordinate case management for children and youth with disability.
Speaking during the launch, STI Executive Director Priscilla Kusuro said the committee will serve as the first point of contact for the prevention, early identification, reporting, referral, and follow-up of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence cases involving children and youth with disabilities. She noted that the committee will also strengthen community response mechanisms and improve access to protection services for survivors.
STI Program Coordinator Festo Majinjach said the initiative seeks to reinforce community-based protection systems and ensure cases of abuse involving children and youth with disabilities are identified, reported, and addressed promptly through coordinated action.
He observed that the Sebei sub-region continues to register high levels of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, with children and youth with disabilities remaining among the most vulnerable because of stigma, discrimination, communication barriers, limited mobility, and weak community protection structures.
According to STI, community engagements conducted under the project revealed that although the Sauti Child Helpline (116) exists to report abuse, many caregivers and children with disabilities remain unaware of the service or are unable to access it due to weak referral systems and limited community coordination.
The Chairperson of Disability Council Kween asked STI to consider bridging the communication gap among PWDs by training more sign language interpreters and ensure these are available in all institutions like police, health, schools, etc.
Kween Resident District Commissioner, Rt. ASP Hope Atuhaire, called on STI to consider establishing a rehabilitation centre for children and youth with disabilities in the district. She pledged continued government support for disability welfare programmes through the sub-county policing model to ensure protection services reach communities at the grassroots.
Kween Principal Assistant Secretary Jimmy Cherotin commended STI for partnering with the district to promote the rights and welfare of children and youth with disabilities. He emphasized that protecting vulnerable children requires coordinated action among government agencies, development partners, community leaders, and other stakeholders, supported by continuous information sharing.
During the inaugural District Multi-Sectoral Child and Youth Protection Committee meeting, members resolved to operationalize existing child and youth protection committe, establish welfare committees to complement government child protection programmes, intensify community sensitization to address negative attitudes toward disability, advocate for the establishment of a rehabilitation centre, promote sign language training, strengthen evidence-based advocacy through improved data collection, and ensure adequate resource allocation for child protection through district council resolutions and quarterly reporting in line with the National Child Policy.
STI believes the operationalization of the committee will strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and disability advocates while promoting local ownership of child protection initiatives. The organization says the intervention will contribute to sustainable community-based advocacy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and improve access to protection services for Children and Youth with Disabilities across Kween District.