Basilwizi Trust reviews Child Protection Policy

 By Blessing Munkuli

Copy of the policy

 Basilwizi Trust Staff and a Board Member representative gathered at Binga rest Camp on the 26^th of June in a bid to review the Child Protection Policy (CPP) which was formulated on the 2^nd of February 2013 and approved by the Board on the 31^st of August 2013to best suit local need and international minimum standards on child protection.

The organisation is obliged to encode Child Protection in its programming as a crosscutting issue as it deals with humans, both adult and young, who act as child abuse perpetrators and victims respectively or interchangeably. Our mission statement directs us to develop capacities of Zambezi valley communities, young and old, for them to fight poverty. The ‘young’ component of the mission reflects our commitment to children’s development.

Having noticed that, the organisation saw it worthwhile to have a policy which is binding to its board members, employees, volunteers, consultants and partners working with Basilwizi.

Basilwizi Staff and Board Member

Late 2013, Basilwizi Trust participated in a Kinder Not Hilfe (KNH) partner training workshop on child protection. This workshop brought together all KNH partners in Zimbabwe. The objective of this training workshop was to share with all partners on the ideal components and layout of a standard child protection policy. It is from this workshop that Basilwizi noted some glaring gaps in their own policy and hence the policy review workshop in Binga.

It is KNH’s expectation, in their quest for a child friendly and safe world, to ensure that all its partners have sound child protection policies.

Amendments made to the document include endorsement of the child protection code of conduct, Child Abuse Case Management Flow-Chart which shall be appended to the Policy. Further on, the output of this workshop shall be tabled in the coming board meeting for further scrutiny and approval.To avoid risk of employing a criminal who once abused a child, Basilwizi has made it a prerequisite that one undergoes criminal vetting prior to signing a contract with the organisation.