ADRA ORIENTS CPWs AND SWOs ON SGBV CASE MANAGEMENT AND DISABILITY INCLUSION

Recently, ADRA Malawi conducted a three-day orientation aimed at imparting knowledge to Child Protection Workers (CPWs) and Social Workers (SWOs) on integrated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) case management and disability inclusion. The training was held at Mphatso Motel in Mzuzu from 12th to 14th March 2024.

ADRA's Project Coordinator for Green Jobs, Beatrice Banda, said the direct beneficiaries of the project are youth and adolescents, which is why child protection workers and social workers were the targeted participants. Since their work mostly deals with children, CPWs and SWOs are the ones working on the ground, so the training aimed to equip them with knowledge on how to manage and report SGBV cases faced by people in the communities, including those with disabilities.

Banda added that the training has been a success and they are expecting more from the stakeholders. "On the other hand, CPWs and SWOs are the people we are working with in the communities where the project is being implemented, and we believe that they will play a vital role in encouraging youth in environmental management, hence achieving the project's goals," concluded Banda.

Speaking in an interview, the District Social Welfare Officer, Mzimba South, Benard Nangwale, said the targeted participants like Police officers, CPWs, and SWOs are critical stakeholders in SGBV Case Management, and he added that the training is beneficial not only to Mbelwa district council but Mzimba as a whole.

"This is very beneficial, and SGBV case management is part of our daily work. The training has helped us remind each other of our roles and has also helped those who are new to the job to gain more experience and learn new things that will help us work effectively and produce the best results in helping end SGBV," said Nangwale.

Nangwale further said that they receive reports almost every day related to SGBV, and on average, they receive over 33 SGBV cases monthly. This includes sexual, physical, economic, and emotional cases, just to mention a few. "We expect more cases to be unveiled because through this workshop, they have been trained on how they can identify, assess, respond to, and report such cases. So, we are expecting more cases, and as a result, many people will be helped and receive the needed support and counseling."

He then thanked ADRA Malawi for the support rendered to the government and urged other NGOs to take a leaf from them so that SGBV can come to an end.

Speaking on behalf of other participants, Yohane Chikwalimba, a Child Protection worker based in Traditional Authority Mbelwa, said the training has had positive impacts on their work since it will help them in service delivery, improve coordination and collaboration among service providers, and help in the facilitation of effective identification of SGBV survivors. He then added that he has never attended such kind of training, and the knowledge gained will help them a lot and make their work easier.

"The training is timely because there was indeed a need to enlighten some issues that needed to be fully understood so that when dealing with the clients, there should always be uniformity in our work, especially us the service providers," Chikwalimba explained.

Green Jobs is a three-year project that ADRA Malawi is implementing in Mzimba district specifically in T/A Mbelwa, Mzikubola, and Kampingosibande with funding from Save the Children. The project targets youth and adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, and the goal of the project is to empower the ultra-poor youth and adolescents to be economically independent.

By Chikondi Banda