By Maureen Kizito,
As the school year 2025 closes, and the holiday gears up, our homes and communities buzz with excitement. But even during the festive celebrations, let’s stay alert of our profound role: safeguarding the wellbeing of over 22 million children accounting for 50.5% of our population according to the UBOS report 2024.
With 787 Child Abuse and Torture Cases, 12,317 Defilement Cases, 9,408 cases for juveniles being direct targets/victims of crime according to the 2024 Police report.
North Kyoga Region registered the highest number of cases of Child-related offences in 2024 (1,154 cases) followed by Kampala Metropolitan North with 706 cases, Sipi with 544 cases, Busoga East with 491 cases and Albertine with 472 cases.
Such statistics reveals that child neglect and entrusting children to unsafe adults is the leading cause of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
As the holidays approach, child minding plans should be drawn to ensure that children are not exposed to these forms of abuse from adults that their parents and caregivers and exploitation in a chaotic political environment.
The holidays pose great threats to children, parents, and care givers; the need to take great care to protect all children from harm. The dangers posed by exposure to harmful content online (movies, songs, cartoons) and in areas where children gather should be minimised by proactive guidance by parents on threats envisaged in relation to these interactions
Purposeful engagement of children in interesting, practical and soft skills building should be emphasised at home and community level. Children’s attention needs to be channelled to productive, educative engagements like board games, simple gardening, cooking, baking, sewing, playing instruments and crocheting activities.
As they return from school, it is crucial for all parents and care takers to discuss the children’s performance objectively. Giving children an opportunity to explain their success and failures supports agency. It nurtures reflection and a sense of accountability.
These engagements should not be exploited to shift blame or threaten punishment and withdrawal of support. Instead, they should be used to create a bond between the parent/ care giver and the child as well as a ground for laying strategies for future success and parental support.
Whereas schools have a culture of issuing holiday work, parents and caregivers need to schedule time when these extra academic activities should be done. The holidays should not turn into an extended academic engagement.
Children need to rest from a long year of academic pressure and stress. Parents need to allow them enough time to sleep and not burden them with excessive manual labour in form of chores.
Tasks assigned to children should support their ability to value work, teamwork and responsibility in future. Holidays and the absence of school routine should not be exploited for child labour.
The Writer is a Senior Child Protection Officer at Peas Uganda
