Kreetika Kumar 
[Photo Credit: Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection - Fiji/ Facebook]
Five out of six children in Fiji face violence, and each week, the Fiji Police Force receives an average of five cases of child sexual abuse.
Minister for Women and Children Sashi Kiran says the Ministry is working on developing National Action Plan for Prevention of Child Abuse as well as implementation of Child Protection and Child Justice Acts of 2024 to prevent abuse.
However, she adds that it is important to provide much needed care for those who have been violated
Therefore, the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Protection, in collaboration with UNICEF, has rolled out an extensive training program to build capacity of our local counsellors.
This is to strengthen support for child victims of abuse facing emotional and psychological challenges.
Kiran says children need specialized care for healing from their traumas.
She adds that this training is specialized and encompasses sports, music and art therapy to help children of all ages.
The objective of the training initiative is to establish a pool of qualified and committed professionals who can deliver effective psychosocial support to children in need.
The pool of trainers includesd Radini Vakatawa from different Churches in three high-risk informal settlements in Suva.
20 child therapists are readily available to provide support to parents and children who have suffered abuse.
The contacts of these counsellors are available through the Ministry.
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