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	<title>AFRUCA - Africans Unite Against Child Abuse</title>
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	<link>http://www.afruca.org</link>
	<description>for the Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable Children</description>
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		<title>AFRUCA Wins Best Community Organisation at the African Diaspora Awards</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/afruca-wins-best-community-organisation-at-the-african-diaspora-awards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/afruca-wins-best-community-organisation-at-the-african-diaspora-awards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 May 2013 13:21:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.org/?p=487</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AFRUCA took home the award for the Best Community Organisation at the inaugural African Diaspora Awards (ADA) held on the 2nd of May 2013 at the InterContinental hotel in Westminster in London.]]></description>
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		<title>AFRUCA Proposal to Amend the Children and Young Persons Act 1933</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/afruca-proposals-to-amend-the-children-and-families-bill-2013/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/afruca-proposals-to-amend-the-children-and-families-bill-2013/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:17:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.org/?p=350</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AFRUCA proposal to amend the Children and Families Bill to secure the protection of children accused of possession by evil spirits or harmful supernatural powers AFRUCA proposes the following amendment to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 to enhance the protection of children accused of being possessed or having supernatural powers to cause harm: “Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (cruelty to persons under sixteen) is amended as follows: In section 1(1) the words “and has responsibility for any child or young person under that age,” are omitted and for the word “him” is substituted “any child or young person under that age.” In section 1(2), after subsection (b) there is inserted- “(c) In subsection (1) of this section the meaning of “ill-treats” includes the communication by word or by action a belief that the child is possessed by evil spirits or has supernatural harmful powers – (i) to the child concerned, or (ii) to anyone connected to that child.” Effect of amendment Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sets out specific offences of “cruelty to children” (although the word cruelty does not appear in the section): Children and Young Persons Act 1933 If any person who has attained the age of sixteen years and has responsibility for any child or young person under that age, wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons, or exposes him, or causes or procures him to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned, or exposed, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health (including injury to or loss of sight, or hearing, or limb, or organ of the body, and any mental derangement), that person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable— (a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine . . . or alternatively, . . . , or in addition thereto, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding [ten] years; . (b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding [£400] pounds, or alternatively, . . . , or in addition thereto, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months. . For the purposes of this section: (a) a parent or other person legally liable to maintain a child or young person, or the legal guardian of a child or young person, shall be deemed to have neglected him in a manner likely to cause injury to his health if he has failed to provide adequate food, clothing, medical aid or lodging for him, or if, having been unable otherwise to provide such food, clothing, medical aid or lodging, he has failed to take steps to procure it to be provided under [the enactments applicable in that behalf]; (b) where it is proved that the death of an infant under three years of age was caused by suffocation (not being suffocation caused by disease or the presence of any foreign body in the throat or air passages of the infant) while the infant was in bed with some other person who has attained the age of sixteen years, that other person shall, if he was, when he went to bed, under the influence of drink, be deemed to have neglected the infant in a manner likely to cause injury to its health. A person may be convicted of an offence under this section (a) notwithstanding that actual suffering or injury to health, or the liklihood of actual suffering or injury to health, was obviated by the action of another person; (b) notwithstanding the death of the child or young person in question… Our first amendment to section 1 deletes the words in italic in the first sentence which limit commission of offences of child cruelty to a person who “has responsibility for a child or young person…”  It is not clear why this was ever a useful limitation since cruelty to children does not change its nature depending on the status of the perpetrator.  Why should, for example, a neighbour or lodger who wilfully assaults a child be immune from prosecution under section 1 while a babysitter or nanny is not?  In relation to witch-branding section 1 would not apply, for example, to a church pastor or to the sexual partner of a relative, although such people do perpetrate this type of abuse – as was the case in the murders of Kirsty Bamu and Victoria Climbié. Our second amendment to section 1 clarifies the meaning of “ill-treats” in order to explicitly include the communication by word or action of a belief that a child is possessed by evil spirits or malign powers either to the child him/herself or to anyone connected to the child (for example a member of the child’s family or school or church congregation).  Examples of the sort of action that might convey a belief of possession include ostracising children, refusing to admit them to the church, alterations to their diet, public prayers for their deliverance that might in any way identify them etc. It should be noted that, although in practice the children accused of spirit-possession and/or having supernatural powers are often called witches, the word “witch” is avoided in the amendment.  This is because benign witchcraft is practiced by some adults and the fantasy concept of witches is common in children’s lives (for example in Halloween celebrations).  The intention of this amendment is not to forbid harmless practices but to outlaw a proven and serious form of child abuse that arises from accusing a child of being possessed by evil spirits and potentially or actually responsible for the ills of family or community. The need for this amendment Branding a child as a witch is an incitement to hatred and an attack on the integrity of and an encouragement to violence against the child. Once a child is called a witch or possessed, he/she is stripped of his/her innocence and considered as a perpetrator of evil acts, a criminal, hence instilling fear and providing a moral ground for others to ill-treat a [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Vodafone World of Difference Winner begins Placement at AFRUCA</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/vodafone-world-of-difference-winner-begins-placement-at-afruca/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/vodafone-world-of-difference-winner-begins-placement-at-afruca/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.org/?p=347</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Press Release 12 March 2013 Vodafone World of Difference Winner begins Placement at AFRUCA Dorcas Gwata, one of the successful winners of the 2013 Vodafone World of Difference competition, is set to begin  her eight weeks work placement at AFRUCA’s (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse) head office in London, on the 24th of April, 2013. She is among the 500 lucky winners selected out of thousands of application nationwide. During this eight weeks placement, Dorcas will act as a Mental Health Adviser providing mental health advice to support families in crises, children branded as witches or possessed by evil spirit, as well as survivors of trafficking. This unique role will also enable her provide training to staff and key workers especially in the area of mental health issues affecting African families and children in the UK. On why she chose to do her placement at AFRUCA, Dorcas said “this is a unique charity providing advocacy on the very issues that I am passionate about. AFRUCA is addressing some of the most complex and challenging issues in our society, and I have for a long time wanted to be a part of the social change mechanism and I am happy to be doing so with AFRUCA”. The Vodafone World of Difference is a programme run by Vodafone Foundation. It provides the unique opportunity for individuals to donate their time to a UK charity of their choice whilst getting paid by Vodafone Foundation. “I am terribly grateful to Vodafone for giving me this opportunity to work at AFRUCA, looking forward to delivering on the objectives of the project and working on the very issues that I am passionate about” she added. “We are delighted to have Dorcas at AFRUCA and I am confident that she will fit well into our organisation’s objective of promoting the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. With Dorcas’ experience and expertise in mental health, she is well positioned to offer support to our service users. I also commend Vodafone Foundation World of Difference programme initiative for making this possible”, said Debbie Ariyo OBE, AFRUCA Founder and Executive Director. Dorcas is a Specialist Mental Health Nurse working in Accident and Emergency at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London. Her interest includes public health particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa. She is actively involved with the Ndoro Charity, a Zimbabwean charity providing education to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and she also provides mentorship to African refugees in London. Note to Editors AFRUCA – Africans Unite Against Child Abuse is the premier charity promoting the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. AFRUCA has its Head Office in London, a newly established Centre for African Children and Families in Manchester and projects working with faith organisations across Yorkshire. AFRUCA has been at the forefront of efforts to address the branding of children as witches. AFRUCA is also the lead organisation in the Black community addressing the Trafficking of African children into the UK. AFRUCA is supported by a range of UK donors, trusts and foundations in carrying out its work. These include the Department for Education, The Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief, Esmee Fairnbarn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, Awards for All, the Tudor Trust as well as Trust for London. The Vodafone World of Difference UK programme gives 500 people the chance to work for their dream charity, and get paid. Over the years hundreds of people have donated their skills and experiences to the charities of their choice. The Vodafone Foundation provides successful applicants&#8217; chosen charities with £2,500, with each winner receiving the balance as a salary after NI and tax have been paid. Placements are full-time for two months or part-time for four months (minimum 15 hours a week). For more information about AFRUCA’s work, visit: www.afruca.org or call 02077042261. For more information about Vodafone World of Difference Programme, visit: http://worldofdifference.vodafone.co.uk END]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.afruca.org/vodafone-world-of-difference-winner-begins-placement-at-afruca/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>The over-representation of African children in the UK care system</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/the-over-representation-of-african-children-in-the-uk-care-system/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/the-over-representation-of-african-children-in-the-uk-care-system/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 04:15:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[current news]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.org/?p=194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AFRUCA's concern about the over-representation of African children in the UK care system]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Branding of children as witches</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/debbie-ariyo-afruca-director-talks-to-becky-anderson-of-cnn-about-the-branding-of-children-as-witches/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/debbie-ariyo-afruca-director-talks-to-becky-anderson-of-cnn-about-the-branding-of-children-as-witches/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 04:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[current news]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.org/?p=191</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Debbie Ariyo, AFRUCA Director talks to Becky Anderson of CNN about the branding of children as witches.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Working with Faith Organisations to Safeguard African Children</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/working-with-faith-organisations-to-safeguard-african-children/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/working-with-faith-organisations-to-safeguard-african-children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2013 02:57:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[our work and activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.com/?p=102</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With funding from Tudor Trust and the Big Lottery Fund, AFRUCA is working with a range of faith organisations in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to help improve their skills and practices around child protection.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Expert Assessments and Reports in Immigration cases</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/expert-assessments-and-reports-in-immigration-cases/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/expert-assessments-and-reports-in-immigration-cases/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2013 02:57:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[our work and activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.com/?p=100</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AFRUCA has recognised expertise in assessing and reporting on ongoing immigration cases.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Family Support Programme</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/family-support-programme/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/family-support-programme/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2013 02:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[our work and activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.com/?p=98</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AFRUCA works with various local authorities across the country to provide parenting training and support for parents going through the child protection system.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.afruca.org/family-support-programme/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Dove Project &#8211; Supporting Families Affected by Witchcraft Branding in Newham</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/the-dove-project-supporting-families-affected-by-witchcraft-branding-in-newham/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/the-dove-project-supporting-families-affected-by-witchcraft-branding-in-newham/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:23:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[our work and activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.com/?p=32</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This pilot project funded by Trust for London is a partnership between AFRUCA, London Borough of Newham and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Safeguarding Children from Witchcraft Branding Policy Project</title>
		<link>http://www.afruca.org/safeguarding-children-from-witchcraft-branding-policy-project/</link>
		<comments>http://www.afruca.org/safeguarding-children-from-witchcraft-branding-policy-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:23:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>skee</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[our work and activities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.afruca.com/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our anti witchcraft branding policy project aims to educate and raise awareness among practitioners and policy-makers about the phenomenon of witchcraft branding and its terrible consequences on victims.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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