“I started selling like hot cakes as I was walking from home to home for case identification and follow up sessions. These always filled my plate with cases of child neglect and caregivers who never wanted to disclose cases of child abuse from within their homes. Some of them used to fear me, thinking I was spying on them; however, time heals and I was introduced to the community through single gender sessions by the field officers. This is where I started participating in facilitating the sessions and gained popularity and trust from the caregivers in the groups hence work started getting easier as more caregivers started reporting cases to me.

At school, children started calling me ‘Bantwana’ because I attended their single gender sessions for boys and girls as well as provided guidance and counseling to them on how to report cases. The community leaders like Community Development Officer (CDO’s), police, Local Council members, have also recognized my roles and involve me in handling issues of children. I reported over 154 cases of child abuse and over 107 have been closed by the CDO’s.

Identification of a community resource persons to act as a change agent in dealing with Violence Against Children (VAC) and Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is not an easy task, despite the fact that government structure provides space for para social workers. (PSW) However, despite the structure being in place, it doesn’t build our capacity and facilitation to do our work in the communities which makes some of us not so well known and recognized for the roles.”

Gerazio, a para social worker supporting Mirongo P/S in Nyabuharwa sub county Kyenjojo district, was identified by the school and trained by Bantwana Initiative Uganda (BIU) in positive parenting, case identification and documentation, more so in Village Saving Loan Associations (VSLA’s) methodology. Through school, he mobilized caregivers and started conducting parenting sessions that graduated into VSLA groups. Through these groups, he gained trust and confidence that can always go the extra mile to reach out to others.

Gerazio mentors his peer PSWs who find it hard to deliver sessions and document cases for referral and support. This makes caregivers realize their role and need to provide basic needs for their children while in the groups. Interestingly, the LC chairperson of his village also reached out to him to provide support in guidance and counseling of children survivors. This helps with handling VAC issues as well as referring cases to CDOs because he was empowered by Bantwana to work closely with different stakeholders. Gerazio says that most LCs in his community consult him. This continues to give him a name and self-confidence to reach the stars. He facilitates parenting sessions in Nyabuharwa schools and gives time for other PSWs to learn from him. Caregivers have built an attachment with him in the community by the way he handles issues of children.

In conclusion, the PSWs contribution to children’s well-being cannot be taken for granted and its high time the government, through its sub counties, took a deliberate and affirmative action to empower and build the capacity of these resource persons especially in prevention and response to VAC.