Describing the rising conflicts in families today as a danger and time bomb to the nation, the Entebbe Municipality Member of Parliament Hon. Rose Tumusiime has called for tougher punishment for child offenders. Tumusiime who was speaking during the celebrations to mark Day of The African Child on Saturday at the Entebbe Deliverance Church noted that because of disagreements and conflicts in families today, this has led to increased cases of divorce, single parents and street kids. She noted that children from broken homes are susceptible to being exploited and lured into child prostitution, child sacrifice, early marriages, and teenage pregnancies, drug and substance abuse by unscrupulous people which may lead to death.
Because of rising cases of conflicts in homes, many children are being lured into child prostitution, drug abuse, early marriages and teenage pregnancies. All these challenges need to be addressed though collective effort with different authorities and stake holders including the church, police, civil society organizations and leaders at all levels. Some of the unscrupulous people who offend, exploit and sexually abuse children need to be locked up and handed tougher punishments, Hon. Tumusiime stated.
However she castigated parents who have neglected their parenting role to wake up and start living exemplary lives adding that it is their role to teach and discipline the leaders of tomorrow. She called on the church to intensify campaign to revive morals and dialogue in families so as to reduce on the rising cases of conflicts.
She hailed the Entebbe Deliverance Church and compassion International for their noble cause of helping the underprivileged and promised to lobby for bursaries in different universities and tertiary institutions for children to further their education and acquire hands-on skills to start their own ventures.
The celebrations commenced with a charity march from Entebbe Mayors Garden to the Deliverance Church where the commemorations were held under the theme: Conflicts And Crisis In Our Community Protecting All Children’s Rights.
Deliverance Church, Entebbe Child Development Center and Compassion International run UG-512 Project which aims at helping poor children including HIV/AIDS affected children realise their full potential. According to Pastor John Chemonges Deliverance Church has helped over 200 children through educating them in different skills right from Primary level to secondary level however limited funding to push the children to university is their biggest challenge.
