HAPSTA/CRARN host another successful town-hall meeting in Nsit Ubium

HAPSTA, with CRARN, today, Thursday 14th March, 2013 successfully organised an enlightenment meeting in Nsit Ubium to sensitise the people, the community, on the danger of maltreatment and rejection of their children and wards as a result of witchcraft labeling and stigmatisation.

Bassey, HAPSTA Program Officer, =welcoming participants

 At the meeting held at the palace of the Clan Head of Ubium, Chief Elebom Okon U. Akpan, the organisation told the participants that the accusation, stigmatisation and rejection of their children as witches may further predispose their wards to social vices such as rape, pilfering, thuggery, prostitution, and drug use and abuse. According to Mr. Ayobami Ojedokun, the Project Centre Manager of the organisation, the rejection of children (accused and stigmatised as witches) could make them vulnerable to the kidnappers who are on the prowl in the area for some time now. He explained that most of the stigmatised children are abandoned on the street making them vulnerable prey for the kidnappers.

Cross section of participants with the Clan Head

The organisation which had been working in conjunction with Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) to promote humanist and science education and to eradicate childwitch stigmatisation in Akwa Ibom State since 2008 said that their experiences in dealing with stigmatised childwitches and the abusers make the meeting necessary at this time to further remind the people to be vigilant and raise alarm once stigmatization is suspected.

The new Alerts Committee Team, Nsit Ubium

It is also learnt that there are about three cases of kidnapped children in Nsit Ubium area in the last one week, two were traceable to witchcraft and ritual cases.

HAPSTA SCRIP is funded by HAMU, Norway