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REACH OUT: Lifeline/Childline Namibia provides a host of child protection services. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
REACH OUT: Lifeline/Childline Namibia provides a host of child protection services. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Lifeline/Childline Namibia’s role in child protection services

Zelnadia De Waal
Child protection services play a crucial role in safeguarding the nation's future. This article explores the current state of these services, the challenges faced, and strides being made to protect the most vulnerable members of society by Lifeline/Childline Namibia.

Lifeline/ChildLine's social workers are authorised to perform duties related to the welfare and protection of children.

The social workers are tasked with various responsibilities under the legal framework of the Child Care and Protection Act of 2015. Among them, they can attend court cases related to issues such as child access, adoption, foster care and kinship placement, custody and dispute, and the and the removal and restoration of children.

Not only do they work with children, but also with adults and families, providing psychosocial support, mediation or any other needed services.

The social workers collaborate with other stakeholders, such as the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Unit, NGOs, the health and social welfare ministries, children's homes, and others.

This multi-faceted approach ensures that children receive the holistic support they need.

Lifeline/Childline Namibia conducts numerous initiatives aimed at child protection, including:

- Child Protection Trainings: These programmes equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills to safeguard children.

- Community Outreach Programmes: By educating communities about child abuse, children’s rights, and protection measures, these programmes have made a positive impact across different regions of Namibia.

Lifeline/Childline Namibia offers a range of essential services, including:

- In-Country Adoption: Facilitating the legal adoption process within Namibia.

- Custody and Dispute Resolution: Addressing legal disputes concerning child custody.

- Access Arrangements: Ensuring appropriate access rights for parents and guardians.

- Foster Care and Kinship Placement: Placing children in temporary or permanent homes with foster or kin carers.

- Placement at Residential Child Care Facilities: Providing care for children in designated residential facilities.

- Removal and Restoration of Children: Safely removing children from harmful situations and working towards their restoration.

For those in need of counselling or assistance from a social worker, Lifeline/Childline Namibia can be contacted at the toll-free numbers 106 and 116. These lines are staffed by trained professionals ready to provide support and guidance.

Despite significant progress, Lifeline/Childline Namibia faces substantial challenges, such as high caseloads and limited resources. These hurdles must be overcome to provide even better care for our children. Nevertheless, community responsiveness has been encouraging, with many child protection cases reported anonymously or by family, friends, or community members.

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Republikein 2024-07-02

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Rugby World Cup U20: Wales U20 34 vs 41 New Zealand U20 | South Africa U20 57 vs 7 Fiji U20 | Australia U20 35 vs 11 Georgia U20 | Ireland U20 55 vs 15 Italy U20 | England U20 40 vs 21 Argentina U20 | France U20 49 vs 12 Spain U20 Katima Mulilo: 11° | 30° Rundu: 12° | 32° Eenhana: 12° | 32° Oshakati: 13° | 30° Ruacana: 13° | 30° Tsumeb: 15° | 27° Otjiwarongo: 8° | 27° Omaruru: 9° | 27° Windhoek: 7° | 24° Gobabis: 8° | 27° Henties Bay: 10° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:44, High tide: 13:07, Low Tide: 18:54, High tide: 01:19 Swakopmund: 13° | 16° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:42, High tide: 13:05, Low Tide: 18:52, High tide: 01:17 Walvis Bay: 11° | 21° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:42, High tide: 13:04, Low Tide: 18:52, High tide: 01:16 Rehoboth: 7° | 25° Mariental: 8° | 23° Keetmanshoop: 8° | 21° Aranos: 8° | 25° Lüderitz: 11° | 20° Ariamsvlei: 9° | 21° Oranjemund: 9° | 18° Luanda: 20° | 22° Gaborone: 10° | 26° Lubumbashi: 11° | 28° Mbabane: 11° | 27° Maseru: 6° | 18° Antananarivo: 6° | 21° Lilongwe: 15° | 27° Maputo: 15° | 30° Windhoek: 7° | 24° Cape Town: 12° | 15° Durban: 15° | 24° Johannesburg: 12° | 19° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 31° Lusaka: 14° | 27° Harare: 12° | 24° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.52 | EUR to NAD 19.95 | CNY to NAD 2.55 | USD to NAD 18.57 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.76 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.26 | RUB to NAD 0.21 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.29 | USD to AOA 862 | USD to BWP 13.66 | USD to EGP 48.15 | USD to KES 127.98 | USD to NGN 1469.69 | USD to ZAR 18.57 | USD to ZMW 23.95 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1796.12 Down -0.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13303.38 Up +0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 27969.59 Up +0.73% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 327.64/OZ DOWN -0.002 | Copper US$ 4.45/lb UP +0.91% | Zinc US$ 2 944.40/T UP 0.4% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.42/BBP UP +0.11% | Platinum US$ 997.05/OZ UP +2.05% Sport results: Rugby World Cup U20: Wales U20 34 vs 41 New Zealand U20 | South Africa U20 57 vs 7 Fiji U20 | Australia U20 35 vs 11 Georgia U20 | Ireland U20 55 vs 15 Italy U20 | England U20 40 vs 21 Argentina U20 | France U20 49 vs 12 Spain U20 Weather: Katima Mulilo: 11° | 30° Rundu: 12° | 32° Eenhana: 12° | 32° Oshakati: 13° | 30° Ruacana: 13° | 30° Tsumeb: 15° | 27° Otjiwarongo: 8° | 27° Omaruru: 9° | 27° Windhoek: 7° | 24° Gobabis: 8° | 27° Henties Bay: 10° | 18° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:44, High tide: 13:07, Low Tide: 18:54, High tide: 01:19 Swakopmund: 13° | 16° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:42, High tide: 13:05, Low Tide: 18:52, High tide: 01:17 Walvis Bay: 11° | 21° Wind speed: 25km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 06:42, High tide: 13:04, Low Tide: 18:52, High tide: 01:16 Rehoboth: 7° | 25° Mariental: 8° | 23° Keetmanshoop: 8° | 21° Aranos: 8° | 25° Lüderitz: 11° | 20° Ariamsvlei: 9° | 21° Oranjemund: 9° | 18° Luanda: 20° | 22° Gaborone: 10° | 26° Lubumbashi: 11° | 28° Mbabane: 11° | 27° Maseru: 6° | 18° Antananarivo: 6° | 21° Lilongwe: 15° | 27° Maputo: 15° | 30° Windhoek: 7° | 24° Cape Town: 12° | 15° Durban: 15° | 24° Johannesburg: 12° | 19° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 31° Lusaka: 14° | 27° Harare: 12° | 24° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.52 | EUR to NAD 19.95 | CNY to NAD 2.55 | USD to NAD 18.57 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.31 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.76 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.26 | RUB to NAD 0.21 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.29 | USD to AOA 862 | USD to BWP 13.66 | USD to EGP 48.15 | USD to KES 127.98 | USD to NGN 1469.69 | USD to ZAR 18.57 | USD to ZMW 23.95 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1796.12 Down -0.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13303.38 Up +0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 27969.59 Up +0.73% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 327.64/OZ DOWN -0.002 | Copper US$ 4.45/lb UP +0.91% | Zinc US$ 2 944.40/T UP 0.4% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.42/BBP UP +0.11% | Platinum US$ 997.05/OZ UP +2.05%