The
relationship between Police and the community in Buhweju was never an easy one.
Each thought of the other as an enemy. The Liaison Officer Buhweju Police, AIP
Kukundakwe Ntomize notes that previously the communities were difficult to
mobilize because they feared police like a lion making it difficult to educate
them about their rights and the role of the Police in that regard; but with the
help of peer educators everything has been simplified. The peer educators mobilize
community members and then invite the police and other officers to educate/sensitize
them about their rights, especially women and children rights for HIV
prevention. This partnership between police and peer educators has streamlined
the relationship between the police and the community and also strengthened
referral systems. The community now knows where to report cases of women or
children rights violation. In a related development, women have gained
knowledge on their rights to health and can now access health services like Elimination
of Mother to Child Transmission, HCT, and condom use among others. All this has
been made possible through CARA’s IDF funded project, “Promoting the rights of women
and children for HIV Prevention in Buhweju district”. CARA trained
120 adult and 160 children peer educators and tasked them to be change agents
in their respective communities. With partnership, and networking with the
existing structures, peer educators have lived up to their call and helped in
bridging the gap between police and the community. One can assume that this
will consequently improve service delivery in this sector.
