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LWF-Run Refugee Camp Intensifies Initiative to Stop Sexual Exploitation

18 Nov 2006 17:35:00 GMT
Source: Lutheran World Federation (LWF) - Switzerland (Department for World Service)
Rudelmar de Faria

Website: Website: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/1938.EN.html

Campaign Targets Employees, Community Members and Teachers

KAKUMA, Kenya/GENEVA, 18 October 2006 (LWI) - When staff of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS) in the Kakuma Refugee Camp (KRC), northern Kenya, received some of their pay slips last year, the individual salary sheets included information urging employees to report all cases of suspected sexual exploitation and abuse in the workplace. The employees were advised how and where to file complaints of sexual abuse, and how to promote a sense of confidentiality with regard to such cases. This is a relatively new initiative for the camp, which has been operating since 1992.

The DWS Kenya/Sudan program is the lead-implementing agency in the KRC, operating under a tripartite agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Kenyan government. The camp is now home to over 94,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Focus on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse in the refugee camp is part of far-reaching efforts by the LWF to reaffirm its commitment to initiatives by the UN and other international organizations to promote a code of conduct on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). As the internationally recognized humanitarian and development agency of the LWF, the DWS contributes to the work of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. A July 2002 plan of action by the task force elaborates recommendations aimed at preventing sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian crises, with an emphasis on prevention of sexual exploitation by humanitarian personnel and the misuse of humanitarian assistance for purposes of sexual exploitation.

Within the LWF itself, a code of conduct in relation to the abuse of power and sexual exploitation was formally introduced for all LWF Secretariat and field office staff in 2005. The "LWF Staff Code of Conduct Regarding Abuse of Power and Sexual Exploitation" recognizes that the LWF works in an international and multicultural environment, often in complex local situations with vulnerable populations. The DWS' presence in 34 countries includes over 3,000 staff persons working with local communities to provide much needed services.

Training Focal Persons

At the KRC, the PSEA contact persons focus on the orientation of employees to the code, and information dissemination on related issues of which staff and the camp's residents should be aware. Training on the PSEA, facilitated by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has resulted in the formation of a steering group representing 24 implementing agencies working on the national campaign in partnership with the Kenyan government. With assistance from the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), one DWS Kenya/Sudan program staff member has been trained in conducting investigations of PSEA allegations.

During monthly PSEA coordination meetings, agencies provide reports on activities undertaken, discuss and coordinate planned initiatives, and share best practices on the different approaches to the issue. Data collected by the IRC for the period August 2005-July 2006 indicate an increase in the number of reported cases of sexual abuse and exploitation. Ten cases were reported in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in northeast Kenya and eight in Kakuma. A review of the past year's successes and challenges revealed that some agencies had the internal capacity to handle allegations on their own, while others required external investigators. The assessment also revealed that while agreed reporting procedures were not always consistently followed among the agencies, subsequent investigations were consistently conducted.

A draft training manual on the PSEA is currently being used for orientation of current and new staff in the DWS Kenya/Sudan program.

Disseminating Information

Information dissemination remains a major activity, as the general concepts behind the LWF Code and the PSEA campaign need to be continuously explained to all stakeholders. Through a so-called "messaging committee" various messages are promoted. The 2005-2006 slogan, "Let's kick sexual exploitation and abuse out of the Kenya Refugee Program" was printed on stickers, cups, posters and T-shirts, which were distributed throughout the KRC.

In a camp with 24 primary and four secondary schools, emphasis is also placed on awareness raising through the education system. In 2006, LWF/DWS conducted PSEA training seminars for school head teachers, including how to integrate the issue in the school curriculum.

As the lead-implementing agency in the KRC, LWF/DWS Kenya continues to promote discussions in the multi-cultural and multi-religious setting, advising community members what they should do with a view to reporting occurring cases. Community leaflets are distributed with definitions and explanations about the types of prohibited sexual or abusive contact.

An English version of community information leaflets on the PSEA has been distributed to the LWF/DWS Kakuma-based staff, which includes 184 national, 1,619 refugee incentive workers, and temporary employees carrying out tasks on short-term contracts. Also distributed are copies of the Code of Conduct for Kenya Humanitarian Workers in the five primary languages spoken in the camp--English, French, Kiswahili, Amharic, and Arabic. (851 words)

More information about the DWS Kenya/Sudan Program can be accessed on the LWF Web site.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Sat Nov 18 17:41:00 2006