'Kinondoni schools face problem of homosexuality among pupils'

An overwhelming number of children in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam Region, are said to engage in homosexuality while at school.

According to Milka Simkonda, the Kinondoni Social Welfare Officer, almost 300 primary school pupils were engaged in sexual abuse from 2012 to date.

Said Milka Simkonda, the Kinondoni Social Welfare Officer: “The situation is worse for primary schools in Kinondoni municipality.”

She was speaking over the weekend in Dar es Salaam during  commemorations of the Protection and Safety week for children that was coordinated by World Vision Tanzania, USAID and Family Health International (fhi) 360.

According to her, there were 98 cases of boys who were reported to have been sexually abused in January this year. She therefore called for concerted efforts to curb the situation before it gets out of hand and spreads to other regions.

Simkonda noted that the pupils are said to have engaged in the acts with their schoolmates.

She said in collaboration with the Management and Development for Health (MDH), they plan to start providing education to pupils in the municipality’s schools so that their pupils become aware of the problem. The educational programmes will start this month, she said.

 For her part, the Coordinator of World Vision Tanzania (WVT), Child Protection and Advocacy, Martha Fue, said the commemoration was organised to allow children raise their voices on various matters affecting them.

She said during the occasion children will also get an opportunity to learn about and know their basic rights.

“We have been training children on their basic rights…we will continue to train them so that they should be able to report violations of their rights whenever they happen,” said Fue.

Meanwhile, the World Vision, Urban Sponsorship and Programme Facilitator, Theopister Michael, said they have formed the ‘protection and safety committee’ and the children’s baraza to help in identifying problems that face children in the community.

“Through the protection and safety committee and children’s baraza, many cases have been identified and worked upon,” she said. She noted that 32 cases were reported last year of which 20 have been worked upon.

She said most cases they received about rape, homosexuality and denial of children’s rights.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN