By Rogerdeltry Kambatuku CHILDREN LOVE TO run and play, and well, just be children.
It is important that they can do just that – it’s all part of being a child.
Taking part in more formalised sporting activities is also important.
This usually starts at school during physical education classes, or after-school activities. Giving children, whatever their sporting or physical abilities, access to physical activity is imperative for a child’s overall development.
The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the United Nations and the GIZ’ Sport for Development in Africa programme have joined forces to promote and make physical education an integral part of the local school curriculum.
This is embodied in the Integrated Physical Education and School Sport (Ipess) programme.
One vital aspect of having children engage in physical activity is to know they can do so safely, and be coached, trained and supervised by trustworthy and certified adults who will look after their physical and mental well-being.
Essentially it comes down to safeguarding children in sport.
All children have the right to participate in, enjoy and develop themselves through sport in a safe and inclusive environment, free from all forms of abuse, violence, neglect, and exploitation.
This sounds obvious and normal, but too often these rules are transgressed in some way. Children have the right to have their voices heard and to be listened to.
They need to know who they can turn to when they have a concern about their participation in sport.
This is not always how Namibian adults behave, wanting children to be seen and not heard, and to always respect their elders.
Although important, it should never translate to any form of abuse.
This includes being shielded from bullying, physical or sexual abuse, sexual and other forms of exploitation, psychological abuse, grooming, hazing, sexual and other harassment, and neglect.
However, parents and the vast majority of caregivers would be appalled if they knew their children, or the young people under their guardianship, were being abused by an adult.
We need to listen to them.
We need to create a forum where children feel safe to speak out so that in turn they will know they are safe when engaging in physical activities.
This is why ministries are working together with stakeholders to engage coaches, trainers and children through a programme called ‘Safeguarding Children in Sport’.
Safeguarding encompasses more than just protecting children.
Safeguarding involves measures taken to protect the health, well-being and human rights of individuals, which allow people, especially children and vulnerable people, to live free from harassment, abuse and exploitation.
Through a series of engagements across Namibia, physical education teachers, facilitators and other guardians are trained.
The eight safeguards for working with children are explained in theory and practice.
These include developing your policy, having procedures for responding to safeguarding concerns, advice and support, minimising risks to children, guidelines for behaviour, recruiting, training and communicating, working with partners, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
This forms the basis of how we will and must protect our children. They must always feel safe and secure when running and playing, whether in a formalised setting or just playing in the street or at home.
It cannot be emphasised enough that every organisation, individual, service provider and funder has the responsibility to support the care and protection of young people.
These institutions and organisations must ensure they have appropriate systems in place to respond to concerns.
We owe this duty of care to them, and that is why our ministry, together with other stakeholders, will continue to train, teach and engage on this essential topic.
We must be able to trust and rely on the fact that our children are safe within a sporting environment and are in good hands while being trained to be the best they can be – whatever their level of physical ability.
*Rogerdeltry Kambatuku is a senior sport officer and member of the national steering committee on physical education and school sport in the directorate of sport.
