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Child exploitation is a scourge that extends to sexual exploitation, child trafficking and all abusive and harmful forms of child labour.
Rape is one of the most common and tragic forms of child exploitation in Africa. In 2008, World Vision partnered with UNICEF and other non-governmental organisations to ensure the empowered representation and advocacy of children in the Third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.
Across Africa, World Vision has been working to end child exploitation and abuse in various forms. One example is the Democratic Republic of Congo, where World Vision is working to aid child soldiers through the following measures: - Raising awareness in communities about the need to protect children from exploitation;
- Sensitizing communities for child reintegration and follow-up on children who have been reintegrated;
- Providing educational and skills training opportunities;
- Addressing the needs of girls who are sexually abused by armed combatants (including trauma, pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases);
- Advocating with warring parties to urge peace and the release of child soldiers;
- Co-ordinating with other agencies for family tracing and reunification;
- Organizing and training children to become their own community advocates for peace.
In Gulu, a northern district of Uganda, World Vision runs the Children of War Programme, which includes a counselling centre for former child soldiers and adults who were abducted as children. It is the largest, most well-established rehabilitation centre in Uganda. Opened in 1995, the Children of War Centre provides formerly abducted children with temporary shelter, AIDS education, food, medical treatment, psycho-social counselling, vocational training, spiritual nurture and facilitates a smooth reunion of the children with their families. More than 15,000 children and adults have passed through the centre..
World Vision has also on several occasions called upon the United Nations Security Council to bring to an end the rape of children and other gender-based violence in Eastern DRC.
World Vision has also provided child protection training for law enforcement agencies in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Over the last few years, World Vision has been working with the Kenyan government to produce guidelines for establishing and operating community child protection structures through Area Advisory Councils, which deal with child rights issues at the community level.
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