Accra, Nov. 22, – Africa’s youth
have called on governments to create the enabling environment where they could
get quality education and contribute to development.
They also urged the governments
to provide the framework to improve on maternal and newborn care for women.
The youth said this during the
commemoration of the World Children’s Day, organised by the People Initiative
Foundation, in collaboration with UNICEF in Accra.
The United Nations Universal
Children's Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20, each
year, to promote togetherness and awareness among children worldwide and
improve on their welfare.
Ten youths from eight African
countries took to the stage on the Day, to tell the world about the Africa they
want to live in.
The 10 girls and boys, aged 12 to
19 years, from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria,
Sierra Leone and Togo spoke on Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation in
relation to Governance and Human Rights, Peaceful and Hunger-free Africa,
Neglected Children, and Sanitation in Africa.
Ms Victoria Kweinorki Quaynor, a
19-year old student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, said the problems that
were facing the Continent affected children first, and they felt the impact
before their adult counterparts did.
She called on government to take
action against parents who neglected their children because it had negative
consequences on children, the family, community, school and the country at
large.
She said the issue of neglected
child had gotten less attention in most African countries and it was a silent
killer, which was hurting a lot of children and needed to be addressed.
Madam Anne Isabelle Leclercq
Balde, the Communication Specialist for West and Central Africa Office, UNICEF,
said one of the basic rights of children was to have voice on issues affecting
them and that was what the event was all about.
She said there were various
issues affecting children on the continent and it was therefore important,
governments, parents and stakeholders listened to them and help address them.
She expressed the hope that the
messages expressed by the children would be addressed to create the environment
where children could be inspired to grow and develop to contribute to the
economy.
Mr Daniel Antwi, the Co-founder
of Peoples Initiative Foundation, said the event was a platform where children
could speak on issues that affected them for redress.
He said UNICEF was a major
stakeholder in the development of the child and the Foundation was excited to
collaborate with them to give voices to children to share their visions.
He said the event would be held
annually to continue to give the children the voice to speak on issues that
affected them and drum home their concerns.
Mrs Ethel Marfo, the Founding
Director of Shappers Africa, told the Ghana News Agency that Africa’s total
liberation laid in quality education and equality for all, adding that
throughout the presentation it was evident how disadvantaged girls were across
the Continent.
She said: “We need to channel all
resources in providing quality and affordable education for every boy or girl
on the continent.”
GNA
Caption: Picture Attached
No comments:
Post a Comment