Thirty-six Jubaland State officials have concluded a five-day Training of Trainers course on Human Rights to enhance their knowledge and skills in safeguarding the rights of children and other vulnerable groups. 

Conducted in the port city of Kismayo, the training was organised by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Civilian Sector Coordination Team Jubaland in conjunction with the State’s Ministry of Women, Family Affairs and Human Rights. 

The participants, drawn from Jubaland’s ministries of Interior, Security and Youth, Somali Security Forces (SSF) and civil society organisations were taken through a range of topics to equip them with knowledge, they can use to train colleagues on how to enhance the protection of children. 

“In one of the sessions, we covered definitions and strategies for combating child abuse in our society. This was very enriching and enlightening,” said Ibrahim Aden Abdullahi from the Ministry of Labor and Employment. 

Mr. Abdullahi added that the course had equipped him with the knowledge and skills on how to combat child abuse and ensure the safety of children in communities. 

Arfun Ali Mohamed also from the Ministry of Labour and Employment thanked ATMIS for organising the training saying it would help raise awareness of the challenges faced by children and measures needed to protect them. 

“We discussed a range of topics, such as child abuse, its definition, underlying causes, and the hardships experienced by children who are raised without proper parental care. Safeguarding our children is important, as they constitute an integral part of our society, making this course exceptionally significant,” said Ms., Mohamed.

Another participant Feisal Haji said the training helped them understand the importance of child rights. 

“We also discussed how children in our society are often neglected, with some of them being deprived of necessities like education. Regrettably, when parents divorce, children are often caught in between and are affected by these challenges, ” said Mr. Haji. 

The training is part of a series of capacity building for personnel in both the federal and the federal member states.