IPOH: Appoint community leaders as child protection assistants, and they can be “superheroes” to vulnerable children, say child rights advocates.
These protectors, chosen from residents or village associations, can shoulder some of the tasks of the Social Welfare Department in helping children in need, they said.
Childline Foundation Malaysia’s Datin PH Wong said the foundation wants the Social Welfare Department to recognise leaders from Rukun Tetangga, residents’ associations, Orang Asli communities or other relevant bodies as child protectors.
“The department could work with the foundation or relevant NGOs to train these leaders to become child protection assistants,” said Wong, the foundation’s executive director.
“They can intervene and children can turn to them if they are facing problems such as abuse, grooming or bullying,” Wong told reporters after a recent talk here.
“We cannot expect the department to shoulder all the responsibility as they are shorthanded.
“So training reliable community leaders is the next step forward.
“These child protection assistants can become first responders and also follow up on cases,” she said, adding that these individuals would be aware of problems in their own communities.
“Each and every neighbourhood should have at least one child protection assistant,” she told reporters after delivering a talk at the Child Safety and Protection symposium held at Yayasan Ipoh yesterday.
The symposium titled “Protecting our Future: Safeguarding Children Together” was jointly organised by Yayasan Ipoh and Perak Academy.
Present were Yayasan Ipoh chief executive officer Datuk Dr R. Ramanathan and Perak Academy’s Board of Governors member Datuk Gan Tack Kong.
The foundation has taken its own initiative to train mothers living in People’s Housing Projects (PPR) to listen to their neighbours’ problems, Wong said.
If these mothers are unable to assist, they have a list of organisations and counsellors that they can refer to for more help.
The foundation has also set up 40 Toy Libraries, especially for B40 communities where children are unable to attend nurseries and kindergartens.
Families in PPRs often have parents who are both working and sometimes in more than one job, leaving children and senior citizens to look after themselves, she said.
“So the Toy Libraries in these areas provide children with informal education, where some are able to read, write and count through playing board games.
“We also encourage senior citizens to participate in Toy Libraries, as they can teach children positive values and play board games together,” she said.
Dr Ramanathan said Yayasan Ipoh is looking to set up a Toy Library at the centre.
“We need more avenues for them to express themselves, find help, and most importantly, have someone to listen to,” he added.
