The date was proposed in 1990 by the African heads of state and government meeting in remembrance of massacre of hundreds of innocent children in Soweto on 16th June 1976 by the then racist regime of South Africa. The children had protested the use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in schools.
More than 50% of the African population comprise of children below the age of 18. Children in Africa today suffer from abuse and exploitation such as child slavery, child sale and trafficking, child prostitution, sexual exploitation and abuse, child labour, economic hardships and involvement of children in armed conflicts. Over 80 million children in Africa are involved exploitative child labour in agriculture, domestic work and in the informal sector where they work for long hours with little or no pay and are also sexually abused .
The day calls on us to give our children good education, good health care, ensure good family environment, protect them from abuse and exploitation, respect their rights and involve them in making decisions affecting them.
Suggested activities
- Spend some time with children and do some activities together such as eating, joking, communicating, playing, and advising. Let the children set the agenda for the day.
- Organize activities at school such as songs, drama, poems, art exhibitions and talent activities for the children.
- Invite an expert to discuss what they do to promote children welfare within the local area.
- Write an essay or a summary notes on how you celebrated the day of the Africa child. Publicise your success on this blog.
For further information, contact:
UNICEF www.unicef.org
African Union http://www.au.int/en/
Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts – Kenya
National Museums Of Kenya http://www.museums.or.ke/