May 29, (THEWILL) – A new children’s book, ‘Bisi Is The Boss’, was unveiled in Lagos, on Friday, May 27, 2022 to mark this year’s Children’s Day. The colourful ceremony held at the prestigious event centre, The Wing, in Victoria Island attracted dignitaries from the public and private sectors, as well as non-governmental organisations and the Diplomatic Corps.
Written by Mrs Bola Tinubu, founder of the popular Cece Yara Foundation, ‘Bisi Is The Boss’, is about child safety and protection presented in an interactive and exciting storyline packed with fun trivia, colourful characters and valuable lessons.
It is a guide for adults and care givers on how to protect the little ones from child sexual abuse, a perverse act that permeates the society through households, peer groups, schools, religious establishments and other layers of interactions.
In a pre-event media chat the author drew attention to the fact that we live in an environment that is battling with harmful acts against innocent children, especially child sexual abuse.
The author explained that in a society with an alarming rate of child sexual violence, the book, ‘Bisi Is The Boss’ raises important issues on child abuse, how best to handle it and protect children from sexual predators.
She said it also provides parents with a fun yet educative way to navigate delicate topics relating to private parts, establishing boundaries and speaking up in the case of abuse.
“Child sexual abuse is something very difficult to talk about, whether you are a child or an adult. And part of the reason the problem continues to exist is because we do not want to talk about it.
“We see a situation where children do not know what happens to them, they do not know that what has happened to them is even wrong, they don’t know who to tell. For me, it was a means of passing on a message to children and adults on how we can best protect our children.”
The author said ‘Bisi Is The Boss’ is a simple book that provides an opportunity to discuss a very difficult subject with our children at a time when adults are not willing to teach them about the private parts of their bodies.
She added that the book helps to teach children to know the boundaries – the parts of the bodies where people are not supposed to touch, and how to recognise any move towards subjecting them to an abuse, and how to react.
“What the book does is that it gives the children different scenarios from their everyday life to know what is safe and what is not safe. One important thing about child sexual abuse is that children don’t talk because they do not know who they can trust.
“The book therefore aims to teach children about those adults in their lives that they can trust to help them and keep them self. It offers the adults the opportunity to make their children know that they have the ability to protect themselves.”
In her address, Mrs Tinubu said ‘Bisi Is The Boss’ teaches the children the important lesson that they are the boss of their body. She said the book has been translated into three major Nigerian languages, Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba and that proceeds from the book will be used to circulate the publication to ensure that every child in Nigeria has a copy.
“It empowers children and their caregivers by teaching children how to recognise boundaries, how to react, who their trusted adults are, and how to get help. Empowering children is a great step towards breaking the cycle of child sexual abuse, and my aim is to get this book into the hands of every Nigerian child no matter what their circumstances are.”
According to the publishers, with the publication of her new children’s book, Mrs Bola Tinubu provides an interesting take on child sexual education through an interactive and exciting storyline packed with fun trivia, colourful characters and valuable lessons.
In a society that has an alarming rate of child sexual violence, the book raises important issues on child abuse and how best to handle it and protect children from sexual predators. It also provides parents with a fun, yet educative, way to navigate delicate topics regarding private body parts, establishing boundaries and speaking up in the case of abuse.
A report published by UNICEF states that one in four girls and 10 percent of boys in Nigeria are victims of sexual violence, and of the children who reported violence, fewer than five out of a 100 received any form of support.
Being a highly invested advocate for Children’s right and a mother, Bola Tinubu established the Cece Yara Non-profit organisation in 2016 armed with a multi-disciplinary team of counsellors, social workers, child advocates, lawyers and forensic interviewers to prevent child sexual abuse and to provide access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention for children who have experienced sexual abuse or who are at risk.
Narrating the character used in the book, the author explained that ‘Bisi Is The Boss’ amounts to an all-encompassing read not only simplifying the difficult subject of abuse but also providing a bonding platform between guardians and the children in their care. The storyline follows Bisi, a well-informed little girl who teaches young children through this important book how to identify inappropriate behaviours and create body boundaries.
The wife of the Lagos state governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who performed the unveiling of the book commended the author for her diligence and consistency in the pursuit of the objectives of Cece Yara Foundation, a child-centred non-profit organization established to prevent child sexual abuse and provide access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention for children who are sexually abused or at risk, and their family.
