PHOTO: Visiting UN EU and high level delegation at the Lofa County Safe Home on Wednesday February 7,2024.
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
VOINJAMA City, Liberia- The European Union and the United Nations Missions in Liberia spotlight initiative High Level joint monitoring mission on Wednesday February 7,2024, visited and toured the VOINJAMA Safe Home facilities.
The visiting delegations including UNFPA, UN women, UNHCR, EU, Sweden, UK, JICA and others.
The joint monitoring also comprised of Mr. Anders Arvidsson, EUD Deputy Head of Mission; H.E. Johan Romares, Head of Development Cooperation Embassy of SwedenMs, Nakata Yoshimi, JICA Deputy Head of Office
Ms. Kate Thomson, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of UK
Briefing on the operations of the Safe home, Mari Togbana of Plan International said, before a surviving is taking to the safe home there are processes ones must go through.
According to her, the survivor of Sexual Gender Base violence or domestic violence, it must first pass through the police women and children protection section of the Liberia Police police and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social protection with the consent from the survivor parents.
“At the safe home, we have Psycho-social Counseling, leaning basic livelihood skills (baking, Catering), agricultural activities among others” she explained.
Madam Togbana disclosed to the high powered visiting delegation that depending on the severity of the case, the survivors can most often go for six months psycho counseling especially, when the perpetrator is at large still they find a foster parents for that survivor.
Also speaking at the joint monitoring mission visitation, is the head of program officer of Plan International Tarnue Kabbar who said, plan international services is linked to integration across the country.
Mr. Kabbar added that they are mostly concerned with prevention and response across Liberia.
Outlined most of these safe home challenges tied around sustainability from Government angle and a safe should be a better place for survivors.
He added some survivors in other counties are not being cater to due to lack of funding thereby leaving them vulnerable in the communities.
He added that they are also using the SaSa form of awareness with youth groups in various communities to fight the prevalence of rape and Gender Based Violence.
Plan International programs officer therefore called on donor partners to provide more funding for the sustainability of safe homes across Liberia.
Making a brief remarks at the safe home, Tellewoyan Memorial Hospital Clinician Director Mr. John K. Aquoi lauded the UNFPA family and EU for taking on such an initiative for supporting the safe homes in some of the counties.
“We are now feeling the impact of the spotlight initiative at our various health facilities across the four districts.
Mr. Aquoi informed the donor partners that four health facilities namely, Tellewoyan Memorial Hospital, Kolahun health center, Foya Boimah hospital and Curran Lutheran hospital in Zorzor, Lofa County are —–serv—ic—-s to those spotlight activities.
He appealed for training of more mental clinicians at various health facilities to traumatize victims at well.
During the high power delegation’s visit, some sexual Gender Based Violence survivors gave their horrible experiences/ testimonies in camara in the presence of the Donor partners.
Survivor number one took the testimony stand in Camara and testified that sometime last year, she was sent by her parents to an item to a shop in the dark. While on her way back home, she saw two motorcyclists on the bike who were chasing her in the dark from a far distance and she ran and began tired and fell under a palm wine kitchen where she was caught by the alleged rapist who sexually abused her.
After that abuse and being helpless, she was assisted by a passer-by who rush her at the hospital unknown to the parents who sent her. Despite of what happened to her, father was getting angry with why she stayed too long in delivering the items she was sent to buy but the passer-by who assisted her explained the situation to her father and he understood.
“I recovered and left the safe home and went back home but I was heavily stigmatized by my community dwellers and I have returned to the safe home where I feel free and live a happy life” she concluded.
Survivor two age twelve testified that she was sexually abused by her step father continuously and threatened her if she tells her mother, he could kill her and the mother.
Based upon fear, she didn’t tell her mother still she start seeing discharge coming from her Virginia. Due to the continue discharge, she told her mother friend who took her to the hospital for medical treatment and she her medical reports proved that she was tempered with and came down with Sexual Transmitted Infection.
“My step father used to finger me always after sending my siblings away because my mother used to go sell in the market” she explained in tears.
“This situation has also led my mother to neglect and abandoned me, because my mother said I put her husband doing everything for her in jail” so I’m here at the safe home where I found comforted.
Survivor two couldn’t end her ordeal without crying.
For his part, Mr. Anders Arvidsson, EUD Deputy Head of Mission; stressed on evidence gathering of the SGBV cases in order for those to be won legally.
The EU Deputy Head of Mission Arvidsson in tears after the survivors explained their horrible ordeal pledged his institution commitment in funding the spotlight initiative. Even though the spotlight initiative is just a program but women rights is top priority.
He extended his strongest appreciation to the safe home workers for the work done so far.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR Representative in Liberia and Acting UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Antony Akumu Abogi in an emotional speech said it’s good to have a structure erected with systems put in place to make sure survivors are received and be psychologically treated and physically normal.
He appreciated the donor community for funding such a project.
The head of the UN System in Liberia recommended to local partners to include traditional leaders who are influential to be part of the SGVB awareness adding that it help reduce the menace of rape and other domestic violence against women and girls.
He observed from the legal angle, there is still challenges in handling cases to bring perpetrators to book.
“We have seen the challenges faced by the safe home facility and highlighted that he’s taking the massage to his organization for discussion “.
“I think as a UN Family, it’s important to support Gender programs by providing some money to assist SGVB cases and the safe home.
Sharing his experience back home in Kenya, Mr. Abogi said, if a man is caught stealing someone item or accused of rape the strongest men in that village will unmercifully beat that individual and find them to pay cow.
That individual he will be named and shamed in that particular locality which will served as a deterrence for others.
He believed that if said punishment is introduced in Liberia, the issue of rape will be minimized where individuals found guilty of rape be named and shamed everywhere for everyone to know who you are.
He recommended that there is need for radio talk show where people will discuss these ills in society with voices of SGBV victims being played on the radio something believed will help in the fight of SGBV.
Meanwhile, Gender Coordinator of Lofa County, Garmi Partey appealed to health authorities for rape survivors to be screened by female trained nurse instead of male because most survivors can be ashamed to undress themselves in front of male Nurse or Physician.