Dondo Agri-Tech training centre: Institutions, parents failed sexual harassment victims – Governor Taipo

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Dondo Agri-Tech training centre: Institutions, parents failed sexual harassment victims – Governor Taipo

8:24 CAT | 09 Nov 2016

File photo / Governor Helena Taipo

Sofala governor Maria Helena Taipo admits that the labour inspectorate and parents failed to cooperate in the investigation of allegations of sexual harassment against the director of the Young Africa Agri-Tech training centre in Dondo.

Last week, new interim director, Aksana Maria Varela, replaced Mario Barbito, the accused.

Governor Taipo said she had heard reports of abuse, notably from trainees A.N.Q, and M.F M,, who told her they had reported the actions of the director to their parents, but they [did nothing] alleged lack of evidence.

After hearing these statements, the governor said that both the state institution and the parents of pupils at the centre failed to control the sexual harassment or alert the authorities.

“The Government authorised the establishment of this center for the training of young people. The Directorate of Labour controls the functioning of vocational training centres and is supposed to assess whether or not the institution is fulfilling the purposes for which it was created. Today we are looking at a centre with a director who, instead of directing their formation, is corrupting the youth. The centre was not created to promote sexual promiscuity,” Taipo said.

Taipo also said that the parents of the centre’s students, as adult men and women, did not play their part in defending the girls. “You have left girls your daughters’ age to the sexual harassment of the director, without taking action to defend them,” she said.

“As mothers and fathers you had an obligation to safeguard the integrity of the girls who are here to prepare their future and not to attend the sexual desire of a director. It is beyond any reasonable understanding how we came to this level of harassment. I feel that you did not undertake the role of parents, did nothing to defend the girls. I feel that in this way you are contributing to sabotaging their future,” she said, adding that they also let the center become where aggression flourished, as in the case that was recently tried by the Dondo Judicial Court.

Governor Taipo said that sexual abuse could mean girls had acquired sexually transmitted diseases, and that their health would therefore need to be monitored.

“We have to consider the value of life and respect for our bodies. We have to create training centres that teach good life practices. We feel that there are no conditions under which Mario Barbito should continue running this centre,” she said.

Source: Diário de Moçambique