Monday 12 May 2014

PEER EDUCATORS BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY IN BUHWEJU DISTRICT.


The relationship between Police and the community in Buhweju was never an easy one. Each thought of the other as an enemy. The Liaison Officer Buhweju Police, AIP Kukundakwe Ntomize notes that previously the communities were difficult to mobilize because they feared police like a lion making it difficult to educate them about their rights and the role of the Police in that regard; but with the help of peer educators everything has been simplified. The peer educators mobilize community members and then invite the police and other officers to educate/sensitize them about their rights, especially women and children rights for HIV prevention. This partnership between police and peer educators has streamlined the relationship between the police and the community and also strengthened referral systems. The community now knows where to report cases of women or children rights violation. In a related development, women have gained knowledge on their rights to health and can now access health services like Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission, HCT, and condom use among others. All this has been made possible through CARA’s IDF funded project, Promoting the rights of women and children for HIV Prevention in Buhweju district”. CARA trained 120 adult and 160 children peer educators and tasked them to be change agents in their respective communities. With partnership, and networking with the existing structures, peer educators have lived up to their call and helped in bridging the gap between police and the community. One can assume that this will consequently improve service delivery in this sector.