The Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya (FPFK) has come up with a digital system aimed at reporting child protection issues in order to complement government efforts to ensure the safety of children.
The app dubbed Linda Mtoto Early Warning System delivers cases in the form of text messages to Linda Mtoto project management before they are dispatched to the relevant government agencies for necessary action.
Speaking during a sensitisation forum for stakeholders at Busia County Commissioner’s Conference Hall on Monday, the Linda Mtoto system operator, Kevin Magero noted that people fear reporting such cases due to fear of their safety.
“So we trained a few people who were pro-human rights in the community,” he said, adding that the system simply complements the government’s work.
Magero stated that the system is being used in Teso North, Teso South, Teso Central and part of Busia Subcounties.
“In Teso North, we are operating in 21 locations; in Teso Central, we are in two locations in Teso Central, we are in five locations and in Busia, we are in two locations,” he said.
The Linda Mtoto project officer Eveline Achieng’ said that cases of child neglect, gender-based violence and child bartering were still high according to their reports.
“A number of parents still discipline their children in a way that is not recommended,” she said, adding that there was need for more sensitisation.
Achieng’ added that the organisation has also helped in supporting some school dropouts to continue with their education.
“The system is here to support our work and the government actors’ work because we are training community members to embrace the project, especially the use of technology,” she said.
The official further stated that the cases are reported anonymously making those reporting them not to be known by government agencies.
“It is only the system analyst who knows the details of those reports and his work is to relay the reports to the relevant government agencies without disclosing the details of the informers, hence ensuring their safety,” she said.
Teso South Deputy County Commissioner, John Kichwen hailed the initiative adding that it has helped in handling reported cases effectively.
Kichwen urged parents and stakeholders to help bring up their children responsibly in order to wipe out the vices in the society.
The Linda Mtoto project was launched in Busia in July 2024 with a view to addressing cases of child abuse within Busia and Malaba borders.
By Salome Alwanda
