Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) Advocates for Deaf Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

A proposal to support Deaf Child Sexual Abuse Prevention by the Gualandi Volunteer Service Project (GVSP) of Cebu City was recently selected as part of Karapatan sa Malikhaing Paraan (KaSaMa) (or Creative Methods on Rights), a funding initiative by international partners to support innovative human rights projects in the Philippines. This is a positive step for GVSP and, more importantly, for the protection of Deaf children against sexual abuse and exploitation.

In collaboration with community partners and the Stairway Foundation of Mindoro, GVSP will work to increase awareness about the issue of sexual abuse and exploitation of deaf children.  This goal will be realized through advocacy outreach about how to defend deaf children against CSA and increase their understanding of what constitutes abuse. The project will also increase awareness on the part of stakeholders – including agencies, schools, parents, and , community members – in order to combat the problem and share methods for protecting children against sexual abuse.

Through GVSP’s trainings and publicity, both deaf and hearing community members will learn how to respond appropriately to the behavior surrounding abuse. This awareness is critical to ensuring safe educational environments and fair court cases involving deaf victims, offenders, and witnesses.

GVSP is already conducting trainings in schools surrounding Cebu that have special education programs for the deaf. With this new funding, GVSP hopes to expand the existing program to include deaf community members of all ages, as well as local government/police and the general hearing community. Advocacy materials will be developed using multi-media production with involvement and possible employment of deaf writers/producers.

The formal Awards Ceremony for KaSaMa 2011 was held in December 6, 2011 in Quezon City.  Three members of GVSP staff attended, in addition to Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) Hailey Fox, who trained GVSP in fundraising and organizational development.