International Day of the African Child

Every year on the 16th day of June, Africa marks the International Day of the African Child. The day has been commemorated every year since 1991 to honour the memory of the children and those who were killed in Soweto, South Africa when thousands of black school children took to the streets in 1976, in a march more than half a mile long, to protest against the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language.

The theme for this year's celebration issued by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs was “Africa fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival” and as we celebrate the day, SOS Children joins millions of voices to call for accelerated action to address the problems that impact negatively on child survival and development.

Over the past decade children's right to life has been compromised mainly due to the devestating effect of AIDS. At SOS Children's Villages we are already committed to preparing and equipping orphaned, abandoned and destitute children for an independent future. Each child receives a stable home, education, health and adequate training according to his or her needs, so that when the time comes to leave the walls of SOS, they are able to stand on their feet and achieve the goals of self-reliance, financial independence and social integration. Our Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) also provides adequate support in communities where our Villages are situated and also other communities qualified to benefit from various forms of support to improve their livelihood.

We believe that there is the need to educate children on their right to life, their survival and development; advocate for the making of laws and establishment of government structures that ensure child survival, development and protection. There is also the need to increase awareness on the need for wider coverage of children in the realization of their survival, development and protection; foster alliances and collaboration which promote investment in the welfare of the current and future children; and strengthen and empower communities on issues of child survival, development and protection through public education.

We are working towards implementing programmes aimed at ending violence against children, including neglect, abuse, sexual exploitation, child labour and trafficking as well as support activities such as lifelines and safe havens to rehabilitate and reintegrate child victims of abuse, sexual exploitation, rape and trafficking.We wish to reiterate our commitment to promoting the right to participation of all children (particularly of those who are marginalized, children from poor families, children who are orphaned and vulnerable) based on their evolving capacities through establishing appropriate consultative forums including child rights clubs, and associations.

While the problems facing African children may seem insurmountable, we must work together to stop the abuse of children in all forms, because the protection of children should be a national concern to provide significant impact on the future of children in Africa.