Safe Statia Portal and its #Dare2CareStatia campaign
Like anywhere else in the world, Sint Eustatius is also affected by domestic violence and child abuse. It is still a taboo to talk about these issues, even though we see our friends and family members suffering from it. The Public Entity of Sint Eustatius wants to end this intergenerational cycle.
Carol Jack, director of Public Health: “The past few years, we have been working tirelessly on a solid plan with cooperating partners to prevent and ultimately end domestic violence and child abuse, today this results in the launch of www.safestatiaportal.com.
This portal provides assistance to adults, youngsters and children who are, or have been, confronted by domestic violence, child abuse or sexual violence. It offers advise, counselling and treatment for perpetrator and victim and if necessary a safe haven. Sometimes there is help from others needed to recreate harmony at home. Often, people find it too difficult to discuss their personal problems on the phone or in person. Therefore, the website has a chat button, so people can anonymously get advice.
To launch this new portal and shed some extra light on these issues, an awareness campaign #Dare2CareStatia is created to inform Statians what domestic violence and child abuse entails. Billboards, posters (inside and outside of buildings) are spread out on the island to create a consistent reminder of situations of domestic violence & child abuse and how we – as a community- should ask for help for ourselves or our loved ones. Because of the variety of the participants of the Carnival, it is chosen to launch the campaign at the beginning of this event, on 17th of July on19.00 by Mr. Franco, Government Commissioner.
Additional Facebook coverage is created by a selfie contest with #Dare2CareStatia for youngsters at the Carnival Village.
The cooperating partners (Police, Voogdijraad, Slachtofferhulp, CJG, Public Health (Social Work), Mental Health CN, Reclassering, schools, daycares, hospital, churches, sport and cultural clubs) on the island have been working hard to create one vision, one mission, one commitment and one responsibility of services for follow-up. In this light, Public Entity and Dutch Ministries have been united in their determination to prevent and make an end to these issues, with help of other islands in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
