The Juniper Tree Tamar Club held its third annual essay competition awards day at Krapa M/A Junior High School in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The event held under the theme: “Standing up and staying safe: What the Tamar Club Taught Me About Preventing Sexual Abuse,” brought together students, educators, and child protection advocates.

This year, ten schools participated in the competition, which drew a strong turnout of students and stakeholders committed to the fight against child sexual abuse.

Since 2008, Juniper Tree has been actively involved in educating children across Junior High Schools in the Ashanti Region on the dangers of child sexual abuse.

Dr. Joycelyn Fugah congratulating participating schools explained that the project’s mission is to equip children with knowledge, confidence, and courage to recognize, resist, and report sexual abuse.

The third edition of the essay competition featured students from ten schools; Anglican JHS, Fumesua, Fumesua M/AJHS, Kwamo M/AJHS, Krapa M/AJHS, Kenilworth M/AJHS, Ejisu Presbyterian JHS, Ejisu M/A JHS, Ejisu Roman Catholic JHS, Okyerekrom M/AJHS and Ejisu Model JHS.

The overall best student in this year’s essay competition, Jerome Boakye of Okyerekrom M/A Junior High School, praised the Tamar Club for its work in schools whilst reflecting on the personal impact of the program.

“Abuses must be told with fear, and the message I highlighted in my essay was the education I and my colleagues had received from the Tamar club. It’s been exciting. I want to be a teacher and this is a good start for me,” he said.

Juniper Tree calls for investment in education to prevent child sexual abuse

The child-protection NGO, Juniper Tree, is urging a shift in focus from punishing sexual abusers to actively investing in prevention through education and strict policy enforcement.

Juniper Tree ramps up early education for children while demanding stronger, and preventive policies instead of relying only on punishment after the harm is done.

The social vice, according to the NGO, has become a significant misdeed often perpetrated by persons known and trusted by children, devastating both girls and boys across Ghana.

A 2020 research by the American Bar Foundation on Culture and Nondisclosure of Child Sexual Abuse in Ghana indicates the prevalence of child sexual abuse of children between ages thirteen to eighteen was reported to range between 7 and 33 percent of the total sample, depending on the type of abuse.

The Executive Director of Juniper Tree Tamar Club, Rev. Dr. Mrs. Joycelyn Fugah, speaking at the third edition of the Juniper Tree’s Tamar Project Essay Awards, emphasized the urgency of the situation.

She explained that cases of sexual abuse against boys and girls are recorded on a daily basis and leave lasting psychological and emotional scars on survivors; needing a stronger policy emphasis on prevention through education and community sensitization.

“It is critical in the sense that, every day, we are hearing of sexual abuse and its affecting everyone. As counselors we try our best to make sure that we mitigate the effects of sexual abuse, but it’s always there.

“When we talk about abuse, we are always taking about the girl child, but we are forgetting that abuse can be perpetuated by both the men and the women. So policy wise, we need to emphasize education and proactiveness,” she said.