Preparatory meetings for the project for protecting children from sexual exploitation

After completing the training of the educators and activity leaders working on the project for protecting children from sexual exploitation, and as a preliminary step towards beginning the activity and education groups in the field, a series of preparatory meetings was held last week with representatives of the partner organisations in the Gaza governorates. This was with the aim of discussing the mechanisms for forming follow-up committees at the associations, as a prelude to training them in the skills of monitoring, documentation and report writing, in order to strengthen community follow-up of the project's activities. In addition, 10 case management teams are to be formed, as one of the modern scientific methods in studying cases, so as to reach the best solutions for providing psychological, social and legal support services to children. It is proposed that these teams be formed of a number of specialists, such as a doctor, a lawyer, a school principal, a religious figure and influential public figures in the community. At the end of these meetings everyone stressed the importance of this project, since it aims at protecting children from one of the greatest dangers threatening their physical and psychological safety, and one whose negative effects may extend into later stages of children's lives.