Linda Toto means “protect the child” in Kiswahili.
Linda Toto means “protect the child” in Kiswahili. This program impacts parents and caregivers from diverse socioeconomic and tribal backgrounds, especially those living in informal and rural communities. These educational workshops will train parents and caregivers on sexual abuse awareness, prevention, and response.
Globally, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year.
In the eleven years of Freely in Hope’s work with survivors of sexual violence in high school and university, they’ve learned that 99% of the survivors in their communities in Kenya were first abused when they were children. Often times, these children didn’t realize that they were abused until Freely in Hope provided education, awareness, and training on sexual violence prevention. Knowing this, Freely in Hope recently conducted a study investigating the beliefs around sexual violence from parents and caregivers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds from Kenya. From the study of 30 parents and caregivers, 90% were aware of the risk of sexual violence to their children, but 59% felt that they did not have the tools, resources, or education to initiate such sensitive conversations with their children.
The survey revealed how parents, especially those living in informal and rural settlements, are less likely to have preemptive conversations with their children on sexual abuse.
Instead, they avoid the taboo topic, hoping that their children will be kept out of harm through prayers and studies. However, these children remain most vulnerable because they live in close quarters with elders and neighbors in violent and unsafe communities. Our solution is to provide parents and caregivers with education, skills, and tools to practice trauma-informed parenting that prevents child sexual abuse.
Through the workshop, parents and caregivers WILL:
Gain awareness on what sexual abuse is and how they can prevent it in their communities.
Learn how to initiate conversations around sexuality and sexual abuse with their children.
Know how to respond to child sexual abuse cases and utilize local resources to support survivors of sexual abuse.
Linda Toto workshops help parents educate their children on body autonomy, safe touch, and how to recognize and report sexual abuse. Parents also receive a copy of Pendo’s Power, a children’s book centering the story of a six-year-old Kenyan girl who teaches her friends about body autonomy, consent, safe touch, and the power of their voice.
Help us hold Linda Toto workshops across Kenya and Zambia.
Your donation allows us to expand our child protection programs that prevent child sexual abuse and reduce rape. We partner with churches, organizations, children’s homes, and schools conducting trainings and workshops to prevent child sexual abuse. To facilitate a workshop in your community, contact us!
