Breaking the Cycle: A Father's Journey from Corporal Punishment to Advocacy

Описание: Studies have identified corporal punishment in schools and homes as one of the major contributing factors that has often forced children to drop out of school, record poor school performances or run away from home; making them more vulnerable to other forms of exploitation and abuse.
Through Safe Family project, Save the Children has been working tirelessly to raise awareness on positive disciplining to the Isles’ residents. The project was based on exploring other options for parenting instead using corporal punishment as a form of disciplining. It supported the residents to explore ways that guides children’s positive behaviors, build responsibility while respecting their rights to healthy development, protection from violence and participation in their learning and care. The project reached 1,236 people from Pemba and Unguja whereas 49.6% were children.
Mr. Suleiman Kibuda, a Dunga Kiembeni resident in Unguja was one of the community member in this project. He was approached by the local community leader known as Kesi Makame to attend one of the community session organized by the project. At first he was hesitant saying that such sessions were meant for women and is a waste of time.
Giving feedback after the sessions, Mr Kibuda said, “Before the training I used to cane my boy with sticks when he wronged me, thinking it was a proper way to discipline and guiding his behavior. But I realized the more I beat him, the more he misbehaved. After the sessions stopped beating my boy, and instead I have been using positive measures to discipline him. As a result, his behavior has changed drastically.”
For his part, Omary*- Mr Kibuda’s son said that his father used to beat him bitterly because of his behavior. “Sometimes my father would beat me ten strokes at a go.” says Omary*
Hemed says that some of the reasons he would be punished were, Leaving a house without notifying their parents or playing with peer groups that are known to have bad habits.

Bi. Mkubwa, Omary*’s mother noted that after the sessions her husband changed the way he disciplined their son. “Sometimes my husband would beat me when I tried to intervene to stop him from beating our son. He does not beat him anymore. The sessions he attends have helped him a lot” she noted. Bi Mkubwa says that her husband has become a champion in influencing other men to attend the parenting sessions organized by Save the Children. She says that these sessions has contributed in a much bigger shift in behaviors in their community
The Dunga Kiembeni community leader – Mr Kesi Makame commends project’s contribution in reducing violence against children in his Shehia (Ward) He says that corporal punishment was seen as the only means of disciplining children.
Mr Makame says that they started working with Save the Children in this project on 2022. At first, he mobilized 60 male parents in his community to take part in the sessions on alternative ways for positive parenting. These 60 men reached out to others in their communities. After a while, Makame says there were changes in the way parents were treating their children. “We are grateful that these men are now ambassadors to their fellow men in their communities.”


Safe Family Project is contributing in implementation of protection on the Violence Against Women and Children Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee which defines “corporal” or “physical” punishment as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. Most involve hitting (“smacking”, “slapping”, “spanking”) children, with the hand or with an implement - a whip, stick, belt, shoe or wooden spoon.
Tanzania holds international and regional human rights obligations to prohibit all corporal punishment of children, including through the new global commitment to ending violence against children in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Similarly, Africa’s “Agenda for Children 2040: Fostering an Africa fit for children” requires all State parties to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to have prohibited corporal punishment as a form of discipline or punishment in schools, institutions and in the criminal justice system, by 2020.