Christer and Juma Mabuza, a couple living in Muvwa village, Mbeya district, are now her foster parents. They have six children of their own, and so Pretty has ample company.
As a ‘fit family’, the Mabuzas take care of vulnerable children for short periods of time until they are reintegrated back to their families of origin. “We know there are children who need support. When we heard the story of Pretty, we said ‘We are ready!’ Children have a right to live,” Juma says.
The story of Pretty’s rescue from the pit latrine is heart-rending. A man heard her crying, and immediately asked his neighbours for help, and together they broke the latrine open and lifted out a severely malnourished Pretty covered in skin blisters.
Community members alerted the police, who took Pretty to the Mbeya district council Gender and Children Desk. There, they opened a case of child neglect so she could be admitted to the Mbeya Referral Hospital for emergency care.
“I was not on duty that evening, but I was informed of this child’s case, so I immediately contacted the district social welfare officer to go to the hospital next day and take charge of the case”, said Pudensiana Simeo Baitu, the Gender and Children Desk Officer for Mbeya District Council. “The social welfare officer and I decided to call the child ‘Pretty’ because she was so sweet and innocent.”
Violence is pervasive, yet invisible
A 2009 Violence Against Children Survey published at HuruMap found that nearly 3 in 10 girls and 1 in 7 boys in Tanzania experience sexual abuse, and more than 7 out of 10 children experience physical violence before the age of 18.
Most children never tell anyone about their experience, and relatively few cases are reported to the police because of stigma, shame, family and community pressure, or the threat of family separation.
There are also low levels of trust in the police and the courts to deliver justice for victims. As a result, few victims receive the support that they need to recover, and many perpetrators do not face justice, leaving them free to continue committing these crimes against children.
The Police Gender and Children Desk is one of the specialized units established within police stations to handle all cases of gender-based violence and child abuse. The Police Gender and Children Desk in Mbeya District is one of several desks that the Tanzania Police Force renovated with UNICEF support.
The desk is staffed by police officers like Pudensiana who have been trained to handle such cases. “I have seen an increase in the number of cases of abuse and violence reported since this desk was set up,” she said. “People are more confident to confide in me because I am known in the community for the trainings and awareness raising that I conduct.”
Desk officers like Pudensiana ensure that cases of child abuse and violence against women are processed quickly, and that victims receive appropriate medical and psycho-social support. The officers also conduct awareness-raising sessions in schools, at community meetings, and in places where people gather for leisure, such as restaurants and bars.
Many cases are referred to them by the community members themselves, or by members of Child Protection Teams and Most Vulnerable Children Committees working at community level.
A second chance at life
Pretty’s parents were never found, so her case was assigned to social welfare officer Annuciata Christian Rwechungura, who identified the Mabuzas as the ‘fit family’ to take care of the baby after she was discharged from hospital.
“I knew Christer because she has always been involved in community activities as a volunteer”, Annuciata said. “Christer and her husband are taking good care of Pretty. She used to be sick almost every week, but now her health is good and she is so happy and playful every time I visit her.”
Fit families are selected from different communities according to a set of criteria that includes, among other things, the family’s financial ability to support a child, condition of the house in which they live, and motivations for fostering a child. Each family receives some support from the government in the form of food parcels and a small amount of money to cover the child’s basic needs.
Christer and Juma have grown so fond of Pretty that they intend to adopt her. “The way she fell into our hands, it was a sign of God and we feel she is much safer with us than anywhere else. We would like to keep her forever,” Juma says. With the help of Annuciata, they are planning to lodge an adoption application with the local authorities.
The story of Pretty is a case in point of the government’s efforts to build a child protection system that prevents and responds to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. It shows how different levels of government from multiple sectors can come together to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable children.
As the Mabuza family starts dishing out dinner, Pretty throws a tantrum because she does not want to be separated from her adoptive siblings. But as soon as Christer picks her up in her arms, she stops crying and soothes herself to sleep. Gently, cradling the toddler in her arms, Christer reflects brightly on her future: “If Pretty continues to grow well, she will be able to go to school and study… maybe she can become a doctor.”
Ends
