Awareness campaigns on drugs, POCSO Act organized in Arunachal Pradesh

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Awareness campaigns on "Drug Abuse and its Prevention" and "Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012" (POCSO) were organized at Government Secondary School Nikja, in Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh. Organised by the Women and Child Development Department and the District Child Protection Unit of the district, the awareness campaigns aimed at imparting awareness on the ill effects of drug abuse and sensitizing the school-going children of the various provisions available under the POCSO Act, 2012, to help prevent occurrences of sexual offences against them.

Chairing the awareness programmes, women and child development deputy director Kago Maya Gyati said that vulnerable children, especially in a remote district like Kurung Kumey, need to be sensitised and informed on the vices of drug addiction and protections from sexual offences at school or home. "Not only children but parents equally have an important role in being aware and informed of the daily activities of their children," she said, adding that open and frank communication between parents and children is an important factor in knowing if everything is alright with their children. Urging the teachers to pool in and be partners in the noble missions, Maya appealed to them to spread the messages of the awareness campaigns to other schools in the district as well. The deputy director also assured that would organise similar awareness campaigns in other schools in the district.

Earlier, headmaster of the school, Nikja Bengia Tanang, assured all help in curbing the drug menace and extending help in any child-related issues at his school. Resource person and Kurung Kumey district child protection unit officer Chera Kani made detailed and elaborate presentations on ‘drug abuse and its socio-economic impact’ and ‘POCSO Act, 2012, throwing light particularly on the issues of child abuse, child trafficking, child labour, and child marriage.

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