Acknowledging the wide-scale influence and reach of the churches, with particular reference to Dimapur, the Dimapur Alliance for Child Rights (DACR) on Thursday told church workers, mostly Sunday-school teachers, to ‘tell people’ of the ‘menace of child domestic servants’, and at the same time, proposed the churches to partner in a billboard campaign against violation of child rights.
The proposal to the churches and the church workers was made during the 2nd DACR consultation meeting on Child Rights here today at Miqlat Ministry, Dimapur.
The church workers suggested of their inability to give a definite decision as the powers to decide on such matters lie with the board members only. One pastor present at the meeting said that the proposal could be best put to a group/conclave of church leaders.
Besides the attempt to rope in the churches for the billboard campaign, the meeting also discussed on the need to hold seminars for church leaders on the issue of Child Rights and its violations.
Prior to the discussions, K Ela of Prodigals’ Home delivered a presentation of the ‘Realities of Child Rights Violation in Dimapur’, in which she maintained that ‘no child should work as a donkey.’
Mainly focusing on child domestic workers, Ela called the practice of employing for domestic works as ‘a menace to our Naga society.’
She cited numerous cases of child domestic workers being subjected to verbal, physical, mental and sexual abuse by the employers.
“If you are keeping them to exploit, then please think again,” she said while adding that such exploitations only ends up turning the child into ‘social misfits.’
Ela underscored the need for the churches to deal with the issue of Child Rights violation and informed that various ‘letters, cards and books’ carrying the message to fight against the violation of Child Rights were distributed to the churches some time back.
“I do not know what they have done with it, but today the church needs to tell the people. Ignorance is no longer a bliss,” she said.
Fr Rev Anto of Peace Channel explained the reasons and purposes behind the formation of the DACR. The open discussion session was led by Asha Sanchu of Miqlat Ministry and NT Kikon of Wondang Ki Charitable Foundation.
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