This week has been the first semester of my internship. This semester, I am serving for a non-profit organization, Shield or Watoto, a community based organization tasked with eliminating child sexual assault on a global scale.

The past three weeks have been intriguing and educational experiences that have taught me taught me more about child sexual assault and how to get involved. Did you know that every 98 seconds a child is molested or assaulted?

Neither did I; often we are consumed with false notions regarding child sexual assault. We teach our children "Stranger Danger" and remind them to stay away from suspicious looking vehicles. However, the stereotype of the scary guy in the creepy white van luring children with candy has become outdated. Instead, majority of child offenders are close to the child and can even be classified as immediate family members. While this can sound scary and make us want to confine our youth to the safety of our own arms, there is hope!

During my time with Shield our Watoto, I have been privileged to become more knowledgeable about the facts and figures concerning sexually abused children of the American and Tanzanian communities. Bhoke Mukami, the Executive Director of S.O.W trained me and two other interns with Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training software. The training addressed the realities of child sexual abuse while also suggesting ways to aid children once they have bee sexually assaulted. Although Shield our Watoto is in its very early stages, their mission to eliminate child sexual assault by removing negative stigmas associated with open dialogue around the issue is heartwarming to us all. In this day and age, it is imperative that we have programs and resources like Shield our Watoto readily accessible, and I am proud to work along side them and the community.

Additionally, Shield our Watoto has already taken major leaps to bring their dreams to fruition. S.O.W has completed workshops for the the African diaspora, regarding sexual stigmas, trained community locals through programs, and enlightened college students on how to identify the signs at places like Denison. Their mission is to promote sexual education in order to promote awareness that eventually leads to action. Today I introduce you to Shield our Watoto in hope that tomorrow you become a part of the solution. To get more involved you can follow us on Facebook at Shield Our Watoto or email our social media intern for updates and events at rubatu@shieldourwatoto.org.