Precious, an Our Moon scholar, and Nelson Mbundi, a student at Hillcrest School, write today, the Day of an African Child on the need to support the rights of African children to an education.
The Day of an African Child is a perfect example of how far we have come and how much we have achieved. It is a day isolated and dedicated to honour all those who took part in the Soweto uprising – the individuals who risked their lives for the betterment of an African child. This day raises awareness for the continuing need of the education provided to African children. This day, along with other conventions such as the Conventions on the rights of a child (CRC) of 1989 by the United Nations (UN), instruments such as its Universal Declaration on Human Rights and national governments that commit themselves to protecting and ensuring children’s rights in Africa. They symbolise the results of perseverance, sacrifice and relentlessness. They give us a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of success, but are we there yet? Unfortunately, no.
Despite all the positive progress we have made, we have not reached our destination as there are more issues to be solved and more to be done. It is not a time to point fingers at the above conventions for the job not fully done but we believe it is a call to GET INVOLVED. A call to every youth. A call to every man and woman to see to it that no child is left behind.
The African child today, is faced with so many issues: from access of better quality education to physical, mental and emotional abuse, from poor access of recreational facilities to simple access of basic needs. We have come too far to slow down or even stop to see to it that there is a better tomorrow for the African child.
“Leave no child behind for Africa’s development,”this year’s theme, could not have come at a better time. It makes us realise the need to move with every child from across sections of our societies. Leaving no child behind challenges us to engage and to fight for the African child and, resultantly, the continent’s development.
It is still our hope and dream to see the African child thrive, to become not only Africa’s driving force in terms of development but also the world’s. Therefore, we must all come together and be the change we want to see, eventually making a difference, for everyone wins when an African child thrives.