To further our reach, we work with para-social workers who are recruited from amongst members of village health teams (VHTs) these are Totya Platform’s first line of ambassadors in the communities, they are often first responders in cases of sexual violence and some of them already have leadership responsibilities in their communities such as Chairperson’s of Local Area Councils and therefore are trusted by their communities to influence change. As of the end of 2021 Totya Platform had recruited and assigned 16 PSWs concentrated in 3 Sub-counties of Mpigi District and through them, Totya Platform continues to be able;
- To Advocate for change in community cultural norms that foster sexual abuse in children and adolescents such early marriages (defilement),
- Educate communities on the realities of sexual violence and how to prevent it,
- Provide emergency medical assistance and/or evacuations.
- Influence ideological change in a bid to eliminate child marriages
Sexual violence is not only harmful to the individual victim or survivor but the community at large, through these PSWs we can provide community led solutions to this vice.