by Chris Agbo
On Thursday 31st October, 2019, Disability Rights Advocacy Centre DRAC organized a One-day sensitization of staff of Special/ Inclusive Schools in the FCT on Safeguarding of Children with disabilities and Vulnerable Adults. It is part of RNA project of DRAC supported by CBM. The objectives of the event were to improve the knowledge of participants on safeguarding of children with disabilities and Vulnerable adults and to establish safeguarding response mechanisms in special/ inclusive schools in the FCT.
The participants were drawn from parents of the children with disabilities and teachers from Inclusive Schools, special schools or other schools in the FCT.
The Executive Director of DRAC, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu in her opening remark warmly welcomed the teachers and parents of children with disabilities. She said that DRAC went into Inclusive Education because of the vulnerability of children with disabilities, she urged the participants to be the protectors of these children in schools. She informed that safeguarding of children with disabilities in school is now a global issue and a lot of awareness will be created around it to ensure that teachers understands what is expected of them in safeguarding of children with disabilities. She also reminded the house about the importance of the child protection policy for special schools that was developed in August, which awaits approval of the FCT UBEB. On giving an overview of the sensitization meeting, she said that due to disability, a lot of persons with disabilities start schooling late, based on when their parents found out that they can go to school, and they enroll these young adults who are in their teenage years, into pri schools. They are classified as vulnerable adults. She urged the participants to show love to these children and ensure adequate safeguarding of these children with disabilities in School.
She also informed them that there will be an elaborate training programme for staff of these schools to acquire more knowledge in safeguarding to help protect all our children with disabilities against abuse/neglect and subsequently eliminate their low self-esteem.
The Child Protection Officer, DRAC, Noel Balogun took the participants through the concept of Vulnerable Adults (here, he explains what a vulnerable adult means which is any person aged 18 years and older who may be at risk of exploitation because of disability, if decision making of an adult is impaired, he cannot make decision on his own. He or She is viewed to be a vulnerable adult. It is also one being at risk when in relationship (Social or Work) with another who seeks to misuse their position of authority or trust to control).
The participants were grouped into three to perform an exercise on the factors that increases vulnerability of children with disabilities at home and in the school, deaf children, blind children and children with intellectual disabilities were put in perceptive in the group exercise. Each group presented their work and the vulnerability factor of children were discussed and the participants were made to understand what they need to do to reduce vulnerability of these children with disabilities.
During questions, answers and comments, a parent Engr. Femi Soetan appreciated the Executive Director for the last peer education training for children with disabilities in special/inclusive schools, he went on to enumerate how his daughter who has albinism, attended the training and has changed drastically, her confidence has improved, she educates people on Disability Rights and  SGBV, she has become very vocal and assertive and people who didn’t want to associate with her before are now her friends. Speaking further, he asked why the duty bearers/government were not invited. Dr. Irene in her response said that DRAC has been engaging stakeholders on different forums on the subject but what DRAC set to achieve with this sensitization programme with parents and teachers is to get everybody to be on the same page so that collectively government can be held accountable. Speaking further, she explained that the project is serious to DRAC because she is also involved, she went through all these as a child therefore, it is just a starting point, a lot will be happening around this project by next year to ensure that we achieve inclusive education.
The participants were also taken through Safeguarding: What, Who, Where and Why? Noel Balogun explained safeguarding as a set of policies, procedures and practices designed to ensure that no harm comes to children as a result of contact with school’s program, operation and people. Who to safeguard are those with high risk of vulnerability to experience neglect and exploitation. Where safeguarding can happen is only in school and Why safeguarding is important because of moral obligation, Legal obligation and Community expectation. Interestingly, safeguarding and protection is different, protection happens at home while safeguarding only happens in the school. Schools are mandated to safeguard but only specialist organizations are to get into protection programs eg. Government, Police etc.
Another DRAC staff Amaka, took the participants through proper understanding of the students when they are reporting an issue. The topic was to broaden the participants understanding on the proper channel of communication between the teacher and the student when it comes to reporting of cases. She showcased a reporting flow Chart to illustrate how teachers can break the barriers to reporting.
Dr. Irene in her closing remark pleaded with the participants to put in practice all they learned from the meeting and asked for the cooperation of the schools where DRAC are yet to form peer club to create an enabling environment when DRAC team visits. She also informed them about an upcoming tech / coding training for Girls with Disabilities holding in DRAC office in 2 weeks time, and requested that they select the best girls for this.
The event was in line with DRAC’s The Respect Not Abuse(RNA) project aimed at reducing violence against women and girls with disabilities in FCT and Mararaba which was conceptualized based on findings from a baseline survey conducted by DRAC in 2017 that showed that women and girls with disabilities suffer extreme forms of violence that often go unreported and unaddressed, with girls in special schools being 3 times more vulnerable. In order to improve protection of Children with disabilities in special/Inclusive schools, DRAC started securing approval and a buy-in from the education stakeholders (UBEB, SEB, School Authorities of Special/Inclusive schools and the PTA) through series of advocacy visits and sensitization meetings.
DRAC has developed a Child protection policy in collaboration with FCT UBEB, trained the students as peer educators, established peer clubs in the schools, and sensitized the staff of the schools on safeguarding and reporting mechanisms.        Â
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