Sean Major-Campbell | Saving children saves Jamaica

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has as its goal: All children grow up free from violence. In this Child Month and beyond, we would do well to beware of becoming desensitised to the suffering of abused children across Jamaica. This epidemic is happening in plain sight.

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency has data indicating that between January 2019 to December 2020, 43,312 cases of child abuse were reported to their offices. In a small country like Jamaica, we should be shocked into reality by this alarming situation, which is only based on those cases reported.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) also faces much of the stories of pain, shock and death arising from child abuse situations across Jamaica. In a country where fertility rates have been falling, who remembers that between 2020 and 2024, 168 children between the ages of 0 to 17 were murdered? And who remembers that the reported cases numbered 1,439?

In a country where many are vociferous in protecting their favourite religious doctrines, there were 2,576 reports of sexual offences! How many cases of sexual offences are not reported? How many survivors of child abuse are being kept silent? How many in religious contexts are remaining silent to protect the respected agent of violence and the name of the organisation? To what extent do we understand that children are even more vulnerable when they face starvation and the lack of protection in general?

Abdurahman Sharif, senior humanitarian director at Save the Children International, observes, “This year, a staggering 305 million people will need life-saving assistance, driven by violent conflict, extreme climate events, and global economic instability. This includes one in 11 children. That’s one in 11 children who are being robbed of their basic rights — to survive, learn and be protected.”

Save the Children further notes, “ These are children in Sudan who are now facing the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis. It’s children in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, who, despite recent pauses in hostilities or shifts in the context, continue to face the threat of hunger, displacement and long-term trauma. It’s children like Oleksandr in Ukraine who continue to face relentless bombardments. It’s children in Haiti who, amid rising gang violence, are being killed, cut off from food, their homes and schools, or forced to join the ranks of armed groups, simply to survive.”

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

Sharif is quoting 15-year-old Oleksandr, from Ukraine who said, “I want to encourage everyone to believe in better days, to remember that the brightest sun comes after the darkest night. And mainly, to believe in yourself.” This is such a powerful testimony to the resilience of the human quest for hope and survival. But faith alone is not enough. We need a world that is more committed to the love and care of children than the greed for sexual gratification and power.

Meanwhile, in classist Jamaica, our caste system ensures that we remain oblivious to the many who suffer due to lack of food and shelter. Many are so busy announcing and celebrating how they are “blessed and highly favoured” that they are clueless about the suffering neighbour next door. Some are so blessed that they do not recognise the child who is screaming for help. However, they do pray for the children. And yes, they pray for a better Jamaica. Consciences are placated as many do their religious stuff. It is good that there are also those who truly reach out in tangible ways, while advocating for change and the empowerment of our voiceless sisters and brothers, who often did not have the same levels of privilege as the ‘blessed and highly favoured’.

In this Child Month, we would do well to hear another portion of the bishop’s charge to the 154th Annual Synod of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Canonical Administrator and Bishop Elect, Rt Rev Leon Golding, noted, “There are situations in our country that are symptomatic of a people who have lost hope. They have lost hope in the goodness of people, and even of their neighbours. They no longer have hope, or confidence in the government, the Church, and the justice system, so they turn to crime and antisocial behaviour. They have no confidence in the system as it does not seem to work in their interest. Despite the challenges we may face, the Church community must be a conveyor of hope amid despair. We must help people to see what is positive, what makes for a better society, and keep hope alive as they go through tough times. Conveyors of hope must stand with those who despair and have lost hope. The vulnerable members of our society are sometimes overlooked as people focus on advancing their own lives. There are many actions we can take to promote the rights of the vulnerable and ensure that their voices are heard.”

On this day in Child Month, let us pray in the words of this prayer for our young people: “ God our Father (Mother), we pray for our young people growing up in an unstable and confusing world. Show them that your ways give more meaning to lie than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” ( Book of Common Prayer).

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights and dignity. Please send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com.