Opinion | Child Safeguarding: A Holiday Priority We Cannot Ignore

By Maureen Kizito

As the 2025 school year comes to an end and the festive holiday season approaches, our homes and communities fill with excitement. Yet even in the midst of celebration, we must remain conscious of a profound responsibility: safeguarding the wellbeing of Uganda’s more than 22 million children, who make up 50.5% of our population, according to the UBOS 2024 report.

The 2024 Police Annual Report paints a worrying picture. It recorded 787 child abuse and torture cases, 12,317 defilement cases, and 9,408 instances of juveniles being direct victims of crime. North Kyoga Region registered the highest number of child-related offences (1,154), followed by Kampala Metropolitan North (706), Sipi (544), Busoga East (491) and Albertine (472).

These figures remind us that child neglect and entrusting children to unsafe adults remain leading drivers of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

As we enter the holiday period, parents and caregivers must create clear child-minding plans to ensure children are not exposed to harmful adults, exploitation, or the chaos that often comes with a tense political environment. Holidays, though joyful, also present heightened risks requiring vigilance.

Children today face increasing exposure to harmful online content—from inappropriate movies and music to unsafe cartoons and digital interactions. Parents must offer proactive guidance and monitor the spaces where children gather, both online and offline.

Purposeful engagement is essential. Children’s energies should be directed toward productive, educational, and enjoyable activities, including board games, gardening, cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, and playing instruments. These activities not only nurture creativity but also build valuable practical and soft skills.

As children return from school, it is important for parents and caregivers to discuss academic performance calmly and objectively. Allowing children to explain their experiences—both successes and failures—nurtures agency, reflection, and accountability. These conversations should not become opportunities for blame, threats, or withdrawal of support. Instead, they should strengthen bonds between parents and children and help map out strategies for future success.

Although schools often issue holiday work, parents must schedule appropriate time for it. Holidays should not turn into an extension of academic pressure. Children deserve rest after a long and demanding school year. They need enough sleep, emotional space, and a break from stress. While it is reasonable to assign age-appropriate chores, these tasks should foster responsibility—not serve as a mask for child labour.

Let this festive period be a reminder that child protection is not seasonal. It is an everyday commitment. Our vigilance, love, and planning can create a safe and nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

The writer is a Senior Child Protection Officer at PEAS Uganda.