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PESHAWAR, Jan 24 (APP):Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) in collaboration with UNICEF on Friday organized a three-day food and cultural family festival at Central Park, Regi Model Town here with a focus to address critical social issues, including child protection.
The festival, inaugurated by Muhammad Naeem, Director General of PDA, aimed to provide quality entertainment to Peshawar’s residents while addressing.
The Directorate of Social Welfare set up a dedicated Child Protection Pavilion at the festival, showcasing ongoing interventions through Child Protection Units and Vans and promoting women-made handicrafts.
The pavilion aimed to raise awareness and spark dialogue about challenges faced by vulnerable children, particularly those living on the streets.
Visitors were introduced to child protection services, including outreach efforts via Child Protection Vans.
The pavilion also displayed artwork created by street children and distributed informational materials on psychosocial support and community-based child protection case management.
A family-friendly space was set up for visitors to learn about the benefits of psychosocial services, emphasizing the importance of preventing child protection violations in a culturally engaging setting.
Sohail Ahmad, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, highlighted the urgent need to address the protection challenges faced by children in various environments, including their interactions with online content.
He emphasized the critical situation of street children and praised the Social Welfare Department for using platforms like cultural festivals to advocate for children’s rights. Ahmad also encouraged the public to engage with services such as the 1121 Child Protection Helpline and district-level Child Protection Units.
Directorate of Social Welfare expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its support in advancing child protection initiatives and thanked the PDA for providing a platform to engage families and communities meaningfully. The event successfully combined entertainment with education, inspiring public action to safeguard vulnerable children and promote their rights.