Share An Opportunity Uganda with support from Help A Child Netherlands has donated 19 bunk beds, 38 mattresses, 36 blankets, two 1000 liter water tanks, two printers and two filling cabinets and books to the juvenile section of the Central police station, Abim District.
Speaking at the handover of the items, Mr Bombita Dennis the Programme Area Coordinator of the SAO project in Abim said the items are intended to secure a child’s dignity even when they are under police custody.
He explains, “We realized that the children would sleep on the floor while in detention and this in its self is an abuse to the child.”
Speaking at the same function, Mr Alfred Okello the Senior Probation and Social Welfare Officer Abim District Local Government thanked SAO for the support and said,
“Children in conflict with the law are brought under police custody for reformation; however, if they have to go through harsh conditions such as sleeping on the floor, the whole process is viewed as torture thus making reformation hard.”
He added, “I therefore appreciate SAO for making our work easy because the sector of child protection in local government does not attract alot of funding and we rely on development partners like SAO.”
Mr Ambrose Wadudu, a Project Officer with SAO explained that the printers that were donated were to be used in the printing of all necessary forms that are used during the investigation of juvenile cases.
Meanwhile, the filing cabinets will contain reading materials for school going children who are brought into police custody.
“Some of the children in the juvenile section are in school so the intention of donating the books and the filing cabinet is to ensure that they can continue studying even when in police custody,” Wadudu explained.
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