Child protection

 Ending Violence Against Children ​(EVAC) program

EVAC is one of LHWC's core programs. The EVAC program is conducted throughout the year, to schools, sporting events, villages, churches and any public gathering. To follow up, HWC conducts Positive Parenting (SPLP) training courses to help families develop better strategies in raising children.
PictureHWC presenters developing a session for ENDVAC

​The programs have been so successful that they are being delivered in other areas of Bougainville – especially in rural or marginalised communities in South (to Buin for Torokina, Bana, Buin Districts), Central (Panguna, Wakunai, North and South Nasioi) and North Bougainville Regions (Atolls, Buka, Tinputz, Selau in North Bougainville & Dept of Education teams). The teams are being mobilized to reach the remote areas, marginalized village school communities and faith based organisations. 
 We address the Lukautim Pikinini Act emphasising that hitting children is illegal in PNG. During these campaigns, we register families in crisis into our Stret Pasin Lukautim Pikinini (SPLP) or Positive Parenting courses.

Child Protection resources 

HWC's Child Protection Policy is available here.
​See also the Lukautim Pikinini Act (Child Protection Act).
HWC's EVAC training posters
Both End Violence Against Children  and Stret Pasin Long Pikinini are HWC designed, developed, and implemented Programs. 
In 2018-2019 ​HWC ran 5 major programs related to its EVAC Awareness Campaign, supported by Unicef funding. 
  • Media EVAC program went Bougainville-wide with 5 consecutive weeks of airtime during community programs on Thursday nights for Radio Bougainville (short wave and FM) and also with New Dawn FM. These were so popular that they were repeated several times over the following months. They included the 9 topics on ending violence against children plus the Positive Parenting awareness topics.
  • Education EVAC Program had teams travelling out to 23 High Schools, Primary and Elementary Schools and they reached thousands of children across Buka, North and Central Bougainville.
  • Faith Based EVAC program teams went from church to church and all denominations plus they were invited to do awareness presentations to major crusades conducted in Buka Town and Kokopau Township. There were people in tears and personally wanting to change their lifestyle to be better parents – over 40 activities were covered by this team.
  • SPLP (Stret Pasin Lukautim Pikini) Positive Parenting programs plus train-the-trainer to partners to take this program to the rest of Bougainville. Activity 4 of EVAC Community based EVAC program took the Positive Parenting Training of Trainers to each of the three Regions of Bougainville and provided resources for running our Positive Parenting courses to every one of 13 Districts in Bougainville. These intensive workshops provided accredited trainers over 7-10 days (depending on the travel of people to reach the centres in Buin (BICLC), Tunaniya (OLC) in Central and Chabai (NCfR)  in North Bougainville where our HWC partners became key hubs for the EVAC and SPLP (Stret Pasin Lukautim Pikinini) future programs. We then conducted a 5-week SPLP course to 45 clients in Haku through our Luman Hipakoko Resource Centre with life-changing developments for many families. 
  • Activity 5 of EVAC Law and Justice EVAC program ran training in government legislation to 7 major regions of North Bougainville and Buka with three Acts: known as ‘Lukautim Pikinini  Act’ (Child Protection Act), Juvenile Justice Act and the Family Protection Act.
We incorporate lifestyle, well being for all ages in our Positive Parenting course and EVAC campaigns. Whole day Session Modules are run weekly and strategies and homework tasks for parents are given each week to build up the capacity of parents for positive parenting over a 5 week training cycle. Topics include: 
1. Trust, respect and emotional security
2. Physical Security and Discipline
3. Time, Support and Encouragement
4. Giving Affection and Self Care
5. Supporting Children in Family Violence