By Ravin Singh

YOU have probably seen the short animated film “Nancy’s Story” being aired on the television.

Well, its recorded success has led Tagman Media and Tinninben Animation to develop Part Two of the film, titled, “Nancy’s Story: Boys Too”, which premiered last Friday.

The eight-minute animated feature film is an extension of the treatment of the issue of child sexual abuse and the need to help children with the challenging matter of disclosure. And so it’s premiering at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel saw a packed audience that included lawmakers, officers of the Child Care and Protection Agency of the Ministry of Social Protection, NGO representatives, representatives of civil society, and schoolchildren.

‘Nancy’s Story’ is a part of the materials of the TELL Scheme, which was designed to encourage disclosure among children who have suffered sexual abuse. And this particular film, which is geared primarily to target children, focuses on the need for young boys to disclose to an adult any form of sexual violence to which they might have been subjected.

While the Ministry of Social Protection had been leading the way in the fight against sexual violence, John Adams, Adviser to the Minister of Social Protection, is of the view that the tragic loss of innocence among our children and youth makes everyone guilty, by default, as a nation.

Speaking at the event, Adams said it is high time that sexual deviants and moral perverts are removed from homes and streets; that they must no longer be allowed to feel free in homes or on the streets.

“Those who prey on our children and youths must not expect cheap forgiveness, but must know that they will be hunted down and face the brunt and full force of the law,” Adams said.

He added: “Victims of this type of savage violence, ‘Nancy’s Story’, must have confidence in our justice system.”

Warning that this justice system must not be partial to the rich, famous and well-connected, Adams said: “The Nancies among us must not fear re-victimisation when they summon the courage to tell their stories in the hallowed halls of our Courts.”

MUST LISTEN
“Nancy’s Story is a tale of an untold number of Guyanese children. Like Nancy, many refused to be shamed and/or silenced. Society must now sit up and listen. Change your posture of judgment and incredulity into one of empathy,” urged the gathering.

Since the launch of the TELL Scheme in 2012, ChildLink Guyana Inc, a non-governmental organisation whose main interest is to empower children in difficult situations, has been instrumental in rolling out the TELL Scheme countrywide.

Singing the praises of how the well-thought-out TELL Scheme and Nancy’s Story have impacted the lives of citizens, particularly children, at the launching ceremony was ChildLink’s Representative Kean Chase. In her brief remarks on Friday, Chase alluded to the fact that the TELL Scheme was innovatively designed by a team of experts who have examined what it is to protect children in an amazingly child-friendly way.

“I think that the Tell Scheme and the Nancy Story have moved leaps and bounds from what their intention was in the beginning. The onus is now on all of us to encourage the conversation as it relates to sexual abuse,” she said.

TELLING MORE
She said that another one of the things she noticed was that complaints and disclosures are not only limited to sexual violence, but children are now telling everything.

“The amount of adults who use the Nancy’s Story to peddle their own stories and as a motivation for themselves is astounding. Nancy’s Story has done so much, not only for the children of our country, but also for adults; and there are still so many persons out there who do not understand the need for this. I really hope to change this,” Chase added.

Chief Storyteller of Tinninben Animation, CEO of Tagman Media, Mr Alex Graham, in his opening remarks, emphasised that the issue of the adult male abuse of young boys is a matter that is either not discussed, or is discussed with some extremely ugly stereotypes; hence the importance of part two of Nancy’s Story.

Commenting on the film, Graham offered: “We had the challenge to ensure that our message was very clear. We had to ensure that the scenes were authentic, so that victims could identify with them. But, as with Nancy’s Story, we had to ensure that there was no vulgarity. We had to ensure that the product remains one for general audiences, and allowed parents to guide their children through open discussions. In other words, we had to push the envelope but stay within the parameters that made Nancy’s Story succeed.”

“Nancy’s Story” was first launched in October 2012, and was part of the TELL Scheme initiative, a suite of tools employed as part of ‘the national plan for the prevention of sexual violence against children in Guyana’. The TELL Scheme was developed after the passage of the Sexual Offences Act in 2010.