By: Problyn J. Alpha
The Executive Director of Defense for Children International Sierra Leone (DFC), Abdul Malaff Kemokai has explained to this medium the roles of his institution in child protection.
The institution according to the report is charged with the responsibility to advocate, protect and promote the rights of Sierra Leonean children within and outside of the Country. It could be recalled that the aforesaid institution is one of the institutions that helped the UN to write the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child to protect the rights of children all over the world.
After the United Nations (UN) adopted the document in 1990 it was significant for others around the world to domesticate the document designed to protect and promote the rights of children all over the world.
When asked to know the function of his institution as a right-based organization for the protection of the rights of Sierra Leonean children, he stated that one of their main functions as an organization is to help the government of Sierra Leone to critically work on the United Nations Convention of the rights of the child and ensure that the laws of Sierra Leone incorporate everything in that document, in 2007.
He said other Policies on child Justice, domestic violence and many other laws Defense for Children International supported the Government of Sierra Leone to adopt the safety of children in the Country. Stating that after the adoption of those laws, DFC Organization over the years has been working to ensure that the government of Sierra Leone implements those laws to protect and promote the rights of children within and outside the country.
Mr Kemokai also pointed out that the organization is operating at different levels citing the example of the Justice system.
“We are not ignorant of the fact that many people are abusing the rights of children in Sierra Leone because of little flaws adding, our right as organizations are to ensure that those children are given the rights they deserved; anyone found wanting of violating the rights of children my institution will give full support to those children or their parents to take legal action against the perpetrators to ensure the right thing is done” he explained.
He further intimated to our correspondent that his institution also renders support to children who conflict with the law. Stating that Justice is not only for the victims, but also the accused because most of the time, children who conflict with the law are falsely accused of committing a crime. That is why my office is working very hard to make sure that children who conflict with the law are given the necessary treatment as children and not as adults, the most important thing to do when children did something wrong is to transform and rehabilitated them to become good citizens, he advised.