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* Doreen Peter Kopweh, ** Dr. Thomas Gisemba Onsarigo
- The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
- FAR Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (FARJAHSS)
- DOI
The study investigated the impact
of parental awareness on child protection programs in Kilolo District, Iringa,
Tanzania, in response to persistent cases of child abuse, neglect, and
underreporting despite national and global child protection efforts. The study
focused on examining parental accessibility to child protection information and
parents’ knowledge of child rights as key factors influencing the effectiveness
of child protection programs. Guided by the Ecological Systems Theory and
Theory of Planned Behavior, the research adopted a pragmatic philosophy and a
cross-sectional descriptive survey design, employing both quantitative and
qualitative approaches. Data were collected from chiefs, community elders, and
parents listed in the 2025 voter register using questionnaires and interview
guides, while statistical and thematic analyses were used to interpret the
findings. The findings revealed that parental access to child protection
information remains inconsistent due to socio-economic, geographic, and
infrastructural disparities, despite improvements in localized communication
systems. Parents demonstrated moderate awareness of child rights, though many
lacked adequate understanding of abuse identification and reporting procedures because
of cultural beliefs and limited training opportunities. Community participation
in child protection activities was also found to be moderate and largely
informal, constrained by economic and social factors. Although parents
generally expressed positive attitudes toward child protection responsibilities
and children’s rights, practical implementation was hindered by stigma,
traditional norms, and low institutional trust. Overall, child protection
programs were moderately effective but challenged by inadequate training
quality, uneven coverage, inconsistent implementation, and weak awareness of
reporting systems, highlighting the need for coordinated, inclusive, and
community-based strategies to strengthen child protection outcomes.
