Welcome to the facility of Childline. This building is where I spend half of my week. One thing I did not expect while working here was the community reaction to my work. Coming from American, you would think a child advocacy agency would really be popular. No, not so. People here think we spoil children and let them get away with bad behavior. This is because we advocate for children to stop being beaten when they disobey. When children are being hit they come here, but we can't force people to change, least of all their parents. Corporeal Punishment is a strongly held value here. Kids are hit in schools, but the size of the reed is regulated. Kids are hit at home. Prisoners are beaten in prison. If you curse at me, I could take you to court for a lashing. If you stole my car, you could get five lashings in court. Physical punishment is valued here as a means of discipline. Even as a foreigner, I've almost been hit several times by many cars and buses. Ok, bad joke, but true nonetheless.
It has been such an interesting experience learning the expectations of me as a social worker here. June 16, 2009 was the day of the African Child. They celebrate it to commemorate the children in South Africa who took to the streets protesting to be taught in their own language and not to be forced to learn Afrikaans. Several hundred were shot and 1,000 were wounded. In honor of this day, 1,000 children in my area left school and marched about a mile in downtown Gabs to a community center. Mind you, some of them didn't know why they were marching, but they loved it anyways.
The program at the center had lots of speeches and poems planned. BORING! LUCKILY! The PA system malfunctioned. Since the speakers couldn’t be heard and many of the keynote speakers failed to show, the M.C. did an impromptu talent show. Kids got up to sing. Then we had a dance off. The kids were seriously better than any trained adult in America. They are so good at hip hop and break dancing. Beyonce is to Africa, as Shakira is to Latin America. In other words she is a Goddess and the kids knew every word to her songs.
Finally, the program for the day picked up. We had a high school debate about if child advocacy agencies (like Childline) spoil kids or not. As I sat on the stage, Childline was referred to specifically several times. While I thought the team for child advocacy did well, the other team won! Then the leading lady of the event took the microphone to condemn Childline and encouraged the kids there to take responsibility for their own actions. I felt hot stares from the other leaders on the stage. After a small break and more kids dancing to kill time, it was time for our speech in the program. Though I was on the stage, I told Machete (co-worker) to, “Oh, go on ahead!” How awkward is that? Hey kids, regardless of what you have just heard, give us a ring! How do you even become the leader of an event called, “Africa fit for children” when you hate child advocacy?
Regardless of that little experience, I value how being here challenges my assumptions and teaches me more about acceptance and patience. As a social worker, some of the cases I get, I can do nothing about. There is much development to be done in the area of protecting children. I hope that one day, when Childline gets a case, the laws will back them up up, the police will enforce the law, the schools will work for the benefit of the child, and the parents who have committed serious offences wont walk away laughing and threatening other acts of violence.
Change comes slowly and that is ok.
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