Training for School Teachers conducted on Human Trafficking and Child Protection Systems
Source: IT News

Imphal, December 01 2019: FXB India Suraksha in collaboration with the Zonal Education Office, Govt of Manipur organized a two day training programme for Teachers representing different schools across Imphal East and Imphal West on identifying and reporting incidents of human trafficking and child sexual abuse as well as the existing child protection mechanisms in Manipur on 28th and 30th November, 2019 in Zone I and Zone II in Imphal.

92 school teachers from different government schools participated during the two day programme.

The programme was organized as part of its project Mukti-an Anti Trafficking project to address issues of human trafficking and child sexual abuse in Manipur supported by ECPAT Luxembourg.

Training for School Teachers conducted on Human Trafficking and Child Protection Systems

The primary objective of the programme was to train the teachers' about the crucial role they play as a care giver as well as service provider in addressing abuses against children and ensuring protection and safety of the children in schools and their accessible premises.

Smt Sucheta Khumukcham, ZEO, Zone I, Imphal West and Shri.

M Premchandra Singh, ZEO, Zone II, Imphal East were the chief Guest of the two day programme.

Mr Sunil Meitei and Mr Wungreiso Sangh, Project Officers, FXB India Suraksha were the resource persons during the programme.

Addressing the participants, Smt Sucheta Khumukcham, ZEO, Zone I, Imphal West addressing the participants said, "Such training programmes are very important considering the issue of human trafficking and CSA to be of high concern" .

"As teachers we should know the procedures and provisions available to address issues related to children" .

Training for School Teachers conducted on Human Trafficking and Child Protection Systems

M Premchandra Singh, ZEO, Zone II, Imphal East said, "As we are not much aware of procedures and provisions available to address crime against children, this is our golden opportunity to learn those and understand the role that we play in ensuring protection and safety of children in Manipur.

As teachers we have a huge role to play in society which is not only restricted to school premises but also extends to the communities that we live in" .

Mr Wungreiso A Sangh, Project Officer, FXBIS, Mukti Project spoke about various signs and symptoms to identify different abuses against children.

He said, "Children who are victims of abuse especially sexual violence undergoes various forms of trauma and we as service providers has to understand it.

Not all children opens up easily to report abuse" .

He therefore stressed upon the strategies to be adopted by the teachers to help children speak up about the abuse.

He during the session also spoke about various provisions laid out under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children's Act and informed the participants about their prime and responsible role in handling and acting over issues related to children during their interaction and interception with children within or outside school.

Sunil Meitei, Project Officer, FXB India Suraksha, Imphal spoke about human trafficking and the vulnerabilities in Manipur.

He spoke about various sections under law and also stressed upon the need of strong prevention mechanisms at the state.

He said, "Human Trafficking is an organized crime and different studies and reports has pointed out to the vulnerability of children especially girl children prone to trafficking.

Hence, it is very much important for us as teachers to be alert as well as reaching out to children and aware them on such issues to reduce those vulnerabilities" .

The two day programme ended with lots of experience sharing.

The teachers felt the need of such training to be organized at the school level too so that all teachers get the opportunity to learn about such a crucial topic which is relatively increasing day by day.

So far FXBIS though it's Mukti initiative has trained over 300 Teachers and 10,000 school children in the Imphal and Ukhrul since 2016 .