A key finding in the research conducted by Raising Voices in the past years concludes that children have limited resource personnel they can turn to when they are experiencing violence and need help. The aim of this program is to develop and consolidate the response infrastructure and build skills of practitioners to take action at the local level. Some of the activities in this program include:

• 8 Partnerships: Eight local organizations have been identified in diverse parts of the country and their capacity built to respond to violence against children issues at the local level. This involves training, providing tools and learning materials and assisting in identifying funding for the work.

• Days of Activism: Raising Voices in collaboration with local partners regularly visit towns and busy urban and rural centre’s with a mobile van and skilled activists to create a forum for discussing prevention of violence against children. This can involve skilled arts performers such as stilts artists, theatre for development professionals and puppeteers. It also involves creating a day-long event involving a parade, films, dance performances, dramas, testimonies and discussions. To see pictures of Days of Activism click here.

• Collaborations: Raising Voices collaborates with stakeholders to create violence-free childhoods. We have collaborated with UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children, Plan International, local government agencies, schools, religious institutions, and activists.

• Competition on Corporal Punishment: In November 2009, Raising Voices launched a nationwide competition calling upon the public to share their views and ideas on corporal punishment. 623 entries were received from both children and adults from across the country. The entries included personal stories of those who have experienced corporal punishment and those known to others. Entries were also received with people’s opinions on what they think corporal punishment is and what should be done to prevent it. These entries were submitted in the form of essays, poems, drama skits, recorded programs, songs, drawings and paintings. All of them echoed one theme: Physical violence against children is rampant and is most commonly perpetrated by people known to the child such as a parent, a neighbor, a teacher or a relative. Entries were assessed by an independent panel of judges that included members of civil-society organizations, a representative from a child centered government institution, a member from a higher institution of learning and a journalist. Dr. Daniel Nkaaba, the Commissioner of Basic Education attended the award ceremony and gave a speech following announcement of the winners. While the quality of entries was very high, Nansambu Daphne Stella, Bwambale James and Isabirye Mark won the competition and received prizes for their thought provoking entries. Click here to read the Raising Voices Press Release and Dr. Daniel Nkaaba’s award ceremony speech.

Are you an activist, working to prevent violence against children? We'd love to hear from you!