Good Hope Ministries has established a ‘Protecting Our Children’ program. Village committees are formed. They may consist of their chief, a policeman, a teacher, and other community leaders, to which all villagers are taught to report any abuse.The committee then sees to it that the victim is taken care of and that the abuser is taught the correct way, God’s way, to treat their children.

We have placed Emmanuel in charge of overlooking this program and this is what he tells us:

My heart cries for these children. There is just a lot of abuse happening every day. It really breaks my heart. It’s either we will hear a child has been abandoned by her mother, or a girl has been raped. We hear of unthinkable beatings, a father killing and hiding the body of his own child; kids that are left with no support and just growing up without knowing what love is. An under-aged girl is forced into marry. Every time I think and hear about these things, I remember my days when I was cruelly treated and abused. I keep crying to God to give us more wisdom and the resources to carry out this program until the message has reached every community, every school and every market place.

We teach the following to the children:

• What abuse is
• The different kinds of abuse
• What to do when they are being abused

Here is a question from one of the children:

“I have learned that we have an amazing God who loves us but why is it that our parents hit us, yet God loves us so much — even when we are still sinners?” To answer this child she was told, “God loves us so much and He is angry when we are being hurt. He loves children and wants them to grow up loving Him too. We show our love for God by being obedient to our parents. Parents sometimes hit us because they are upset with us for doing wrong. The only thing we can do as good children is to obey them. This way they will not find a reason to hit us. However, if they do hit you to the point of causing harm to your bodies, as you try to be good children, then you need to report this to your POC (Protecting our Children committee)  who are there to help you and to protect you.”

Those who practice abuse are put into prison where they are taught the word of God through our Bible lessons.