Women play a pivotal role in the family. The presence of women lays the foundation for the union of man and woman designating it the title, family, and the children are the product of the two who are joined in holy matrimony. The two pillars of the family are referred to as husband and wife, tied together by the strong cord of love, the quality in which one lives for the other. Each spouse should try to do whatever it takes to make each other happy and avoid doing what makes them unhappy. The high ideals of a perfect marriage are exhibited in such circumstance and the children produced therein are among the luckiest and the happiest in the world. A child should grow up in a family environment in the atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding for his or her harmonious development.
In Ethiopia, children below 18 years of age account to 52% of the national population and children below age 15 represent 44% of the national population. However, where children temporarily or permanently deprived of their family environment, they are entitled to special protection and assistance. In the situation where the parents, due to their disagreement fail to meet the needs of the children, there has to be an intervention program either by the government or an NGO to redeem the situation. As to the parents, money power or authority cannot buy love and neither can they create it. There is always a flaw that tumbles love down from its height of honor. Love, its quality is reduced and beauty, its attractiveness vanishes. Selfishness, jealousy and envy are among the main actors of the dishonoring drama. But we should accept the fact that the world is never ever perfect.
When things do not work well as expected, many things fall apart. The spouses begin drifting apart by being much concerning about themselves and not their children. Each of them thinks of only for him or herself. The marriage vow gets loose and eventually arguments, abusive words step in, and in the end, physical assault follow. If the husband is the only bread earner, the situation gets escalated as he refrains from providing the basic needs, food in particular. In such circumstance, children are more affected, particularly the toddlers who need constant care and support. In most cases, the mother, who is much concerned about the safety of her child, for the fear to see the baby die on her laps, she takes the baby to places such as church, mosques, private residents, road sides and secretly leaves it where people can find it. Primarily, it is such children that the Bureau of Women and Children Affairs (BOWCA) is much concerned about. Finding alternative care and support, by placing them in the institutions consciously designed for them. Facilitate situations such as raising the awareness of the society for local adoption and reunion. As to the depth of the issues concerning the vulnerable women and children, Herald had an interview with Ato Anania Yacob, an expert in BOWCA, at length.
Herald: I appreciate your cooperation to accept an interview with Herald. Could you tell Herald your background related to the vulnerable group?
Ato Anania: I was a guidance counselor at a certain high school for three years and after that in 2004/2011 I got employment with the Bureau as a social worker on a contract basis and late I became a permanent employee as a Children Care and Support Expert for eight years.
Herald: What is the name of this institute you are working in?
Ato Anania: Currently, it is called Bureau of Women and Children Affairs. Funny enough, there have been several changes until it finally acquired its present name. In 2001, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the then responsible Ministry for the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, intending to enhance the protection and well-being of children who are in need of alternative care. Thus, from 2002 – 2008 it was named Women Juvenile and Children Affairs. In 2008 by removing the Juvenile, it became Women and Children Bureau. Later, in 2011, by re-accommodating the juvenile, it became Women Children and Juvenile Affairs at ministerial level. In regional states, it bears the same name but at bureau level, not at ministerial. In Addis Ababa, it still bears the name that was changed in 2008.
Herald: How does the Bureau define children and women?
Ato Anania: To the Bureau, children are the vulnerable human beings, under 18 years of age while the women are those who are 18 and above.
Herald: How are children categorized for the facilitation of your services?
Ato Anania: The Bureau places the children into three categories: a. children of 1day old to 8 years old; b. 8 years old to 18 years old; c. 9 years old to 16 years old.
Herald: Which one of the three groups the Bureau focuses on?
Ato Anania: Actually the Bureau does not make such distinctions. Each group has its own need that calls into play relevant activities accordingly.
Herald: What are the objectives of the Bureau?
Ato Anania: As far as I know they are:
A. To facilitate the provision of quality and effective care and support to OVC, based on the principles that may ensure the best interests of the child;
B. To set minimum conditions on the delivery of alternative childcare services in the country, so that organizations can adopt and apply them in the context of the objective reality of their regions;
C. To develop sound child-oriented operational frameworks in accordance with the rights-based approach both at institutional and community levels, so that all children will be ensured of the necessary protection;
D. To promote a participatory approach of dealing with care and support of the orphans and vulnerable children.
Herald: Could you please tell Herald the achieved objectives?
Ato Anania: Concerning the objectives there are three areas to be dealt with: one is reunification where by the children are sent back to their parents or guardians. It is the most favored approach to solve the problems of the children by BOWCA. The Bureau set the goal of reunifying 540 children out of which 504 have been reunified. It is a big achievement. Secondly, it was planned 80 children adoption adopted out of which 98 children were adopted exceeding the set goal. Finally, in regard to sponsorship, the
employees voluntarily contributed one percent of their salary which enabled the Bureau to pay for the children’s 100% school fees, learning materials and clothing. With the amount donated by the employees, the children receive additional Birr 500 – 600 stipend every month. This is a big success in protecting and providing for amenities of the vulnerable children.
Herald: How many women and children are in your custody currently?
Ato Anania: There are roughly 700 – 800 women, children and the juvenile. We closely attend to their needs in view of the fact that every child has the right to life; to a name and nationality; to know and be cared for by his or her parents or legal guardians; and not to be subjected to exploitative practices, neither to be required nor permitted to perform work which may be hazardous.
Herald: How does the Bureau manage to carry out the provision of quality and effective care and support for these women, children and the juvenile?
Ato Anania: To effectively undertake its responsibilities, the Bureau organized four institutions in different locations to place the three groups according to their special needs, age and gender as follows:
Kokebe Tsehai Orphanage Center for infants and toddlers 1 day – 8 years old
Ketchene Child Institution for 8 – 18 years old women
Kolfe Child Institution for 8 – 18 years old boys
Juvenile Delinquents Rehabilitation Center for 9 – 16 years old
Herald: Do you always keep them in the institutions? If not, what?
Ato Anania: Until proper arrangements are made for reunification, adoption and sponsorship program, we keep them in the institutions.
Herald: Do you have guidelines of such heavy tasks?
Ato Anania: In deed we have internationally accepted guidelines based on the ethical principles and legal provisions given in the UNCRC, The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and The Ethiopian Laws and Policies.
Herald: What does UNHCR do regarding the child’s right of speech?
Ato Anania: Of course, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) clearly states the child’s speech rights. It stipulates that “States parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.”(UNCRC, Article 12).
The success of BOWCA in addressing the problems of the vulnerable groups is self-promoting. The vulnerable group is congratulated and the Bureau deserves very high commendation.
Herald: Herald remains grateful for your unreserved cooperation to freely respond to our interview. Thank you Ato Ananiya Yacob.
Ethiopian Herald Sunday edition January 19/2020
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
