PORT VILA, October 11: The Child Desk under the Ministry of Justice and Community Services, recently organized a fantastic ten-day training program for Child Protection Officer at Biliura village in Pele Island.

This event brought together social workers from different provinces for a yearly reflection session, where they looked back on their achievements, discussed challenges, and planned for the future.

Tristelle Karae, the Social Well-Fare Coordinator at the Child Desk, led the training. She guided the participants through engaging discussions and hands-on training sessions to help them improve their skills and knowledge. During the workshop, the provincial child protection officers from Malampa, Penama, Torba, Shefa, Sanma, and Tafea provinces shared reports on their past accomplishments, challenges, and plans for 2025. The atmosphere was all about sharing best practices and learning from each other.

Ms. Tristelle Karae explained that the training covered important aspects of social work, including financial management, case management, and the connection between social work and human rights.

The interactive sessions focused on the importance of providing effective services and treating vulnerable individuals with dignity. They also dived into specialized topics like statistics, self-care practices, child interviews, and social assessments, making sure everyone was engaged and learning.

The training ended with planning sessions where participants worked together to create a plan for 2025. They identified priorities and steps to improve social work in their regions, taking into account what they had learned during the program.

Karae also expressed gratitude to the Vanuatu Australian Policing and Justice Program (VAPJP) and UNICEF for support of funding towards the Child Desk annual reflection workshop, recognizing its importance in helping child protection officers grow professionally and bring about lasting social change.