Source: Children’s voices echo at World Children’s Day fete | The Sunday Mail
Theseus Shambare in VICTORIA FALLS
A powerful chorus of young voices echoed through the halls of Baobab Primary School in Victoria Falls yesterday, as child leaders from seven Southern African countries gathered to celebrate the Regional World Children’s Day.
The event, hosted by Zimbabwe, brought together young delegates from Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.
The child leaders presented a unified Call to Action before thousands of children and SADC Heads of State and Government, emphasising the importance of education and need for inclusive and equitable learning environments. This year’s celebrations were running under the theme “Educate and Skill the African Child for Posterity”.
Faith Muzimara from Malawi called for governments to prioritise education and protect children’s rights.
“The time for leaders to act is now.”
Botswana child president Thero Rabotlhale emphasised the need for quality education, stating that education is essential for development.
“Education goes hand-in-hand with development. Without education, there would not be any development in Africa,” she said.
She called for increased investment in education, particularly for children with disabilities and those in marginalised communities.
Zambia’s child president Chola Coreen called for inclusive education and the provision of essential resources.
“Confront child and disability-friendly infrastructure and provide significant teaching resources, including solar power for untampered learning,” she said.
She also emphasised the importance of involving parents and community leaders in creating supportive learning environments.
Tsepo Fischer from South Africa highlighted the need for a curriculum aligned with global standards and emphasised the importance of digital literacy and climate change education.
“We need a curriculum that is aligned with the rest of the world and puts emphasis on digital literacy.
Yura Tayob from Mozambique called for unity among the region’s children and urged them to be active citizens.
“We are committed to being responsible citizens, ready to support our society, to support and work alongside our governments,” she said.
She emphasised the importance of children’s voices being heard and their involvement in decision-making processes.
Namibia child president Uyatera Jagger said governments must present equal opportunities for quality education for children through empowering teachers.
Ropafadzo Mutsago, who was representing Zimbabwe’s child president Pious Nleya, emphasised the need to use technology responsibly to benefit children.
“There is need to ensure that technology is used to uphold children’s rights and not to infringe them. We want classrooms that are collaborative and conducive to mould us to be better future leaders. This must start from us respecting our teachers and fellow students,” she said.
The children’s powerful voices and clear demands have set the stage for a brighter future for them.
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