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The story is repeated over and over. A child is abused in exchange for food for self or for the family. According to the Violence Against Children Survey conducted in eSwatini, one in three girls experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. Sexual violence against girls was most commonly perpetrated by boys or men from the victim’s neighborhood, at the homestead, in a field or public space or at a neighbor or friend. Long walks for water or resources for the home, isolation after missing school because of house work or coercion to give sex for food result in fewer possibilities even for education, and less hope for a promising future. HIV prevalence among girls is also tied in many instances to sexual abuse.
Domestic violence is at pandemic level, as one administrator confessed at a Forum in eSwatini. In this absolute monarchy, the patriarchal social norms make reporting often futile with the victim returning with an apology and potential for repeated future abuse because she displeased her mate. Being female has even greater challenges for the marginalized poor living mainly in rural areas. Girls are more likely to be deprived of education than boys. Parents are more likely to work toward a son’s education and prepare the daughter for domestic chores so she would bring a good lobola ( bride price) from a man wanting her for his wife. Supporting education for girls and providing training on abuse prevention are ways that SOHO presses for equity.
Girls grow up with a dislike for their bodies because they do not have the resources to address basic needs. SOHO provided hand made sanitary supplies for girls while nursing students from IUPUI in Indianapolis lectured on personal hygiene. Shame kept many students from school during their menstrual cycle and at one school, a student committed suicide after a teacher shamed her for soiling her uniform. A high school principal complained of clogged latrines because of newspaper use by girls without sanitary supplies. Based upon feedback from the pilot group served with hand made supplies, SOHO will provide sewing machines to implement a program for making hand made pads, thereby providing a skill as well as needed resources .
Girls growing up in unsupervised, impoverished households are targets for human traffickers. Cheap trinkets, cell phones and fast food meals buy the future of children who were not taught to say, ‘No”! Opportunity to learn and grow and thrive are denied children who are lured into working daga ( marijuana) fields or smuggled out of school yards by ‘sugar daddies’ . The future of many orphans and vulnerable children is easily compromised because their needs are so dire.
Life skills that build character and livelihood skills go hand in hand in SOHO’s empowerment program. Reinforcing God-given personal worth is a key component to positive behavior change.