LAHORE, Sep 28 (APP):A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB)Punjab and the Dastras Foundation to strengthen child protection and welfare initiatives and help provide children with a safe and supportive environment,here on Monday. The MoU was signed by Chairperson Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab and Member Provincial Assembly Sara Ahmed (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) and Chairperson Dastras Foundation Shaiza Shahid. Speaking on the occasion,Sara …
MoU signed to strengthen child protection,welfare in Punjab
LAHORE, Sep 28 (APP):A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB)Punjab and the Dastras Foundation to strengthen child protection and welfare initiatives and help provide children with a safe and supportive environment,here on Monday.
The MoU was signed by Chairperson Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab and Member Provincial Assembly Sara Ahmed (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) and Chairperson Dastras Foundation Shaiza Shahid.
Speaking on the occasion,Sara Ahmed said that,in line with Punjab Chief Minister(CM),Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision,ensuring protection,dignity,education and equal opportunities for every child was among the top priorities of the Punjab government.
She stressed the importance of effective child protection measures,public awareness and coordination among relevant institutions to safeguard children.
Under the MoU,the two organizations would undertake joint initiatives to create awareness about child protection, conduct community outreach,establish linkages with madrasas and community educational institutions and enhance the professional capacity of teachers.
As part of the initiative,quarterly awareness sessions on child protection and child rights would be organized for children, covering issues including children’s rights,personal safety,good and bad touch,positive behaviour,online safety and prevention of violence and exploitation.
The Dastras Foundation would assist the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau(CPWB) in conducting awareness activities at relevant madrasas and community educational institutions.
Joint awareness programs would also be arranged for parents,teachers,caregivers and religious and community leaders to promote awareness about child protection.
The agreement also provides for quarterly training sessions for teachers associated with the Child Protection Bureau.
The training would focus on classroom management,positive discipline,child-friendly teaching methods,effective communication with children and timely identification of child protection concerns.
Sara Ahmed said that responding only after an untoward incident was not sufficient for effective child protection, stressing the need for proactive measures to prevent such incidents.
She said training teachers and other people working directly with children was a key component of an effective child protection system.
The chairperson emphasized the need to convey the message of child protection to all segments of society, particularly parents,teachers,religious leaders and community representatives.
She said awareness activities in educational institutions and madrasas would help equip children with information about their rights and personal safety.
She further said the safety,dignity,privacy and best interests of children would remain the top priority in all joint activities.
She added that all legal requirements,permissions and consent would be ensured regarding the use of children’s personal information,photographs and videos, while child protection concerns would be addressed in accordance with established safety protocols.
Sara Ahmed said that the partnership between the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau and the Dastras Foundation was an important step towards strengthening community engagement and promoting child welfare and protection in line with the vision of Chief Minister(CM),Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
She expressed the resolve to provide children with a safe,supportive and child-friendly environment,saying that coordinated efforts by government institutions,social organizations,educational institutions and all segments of society were essential to achieve the objective.
