Eastern Equatoria State Marks African Child Day Eastern Equatoria State citizens and school pupils joined the rest of the African continent on Thursday to commemorate African Child Day under the theme of "All Together for Urgent Actions in Favour of Street Children.”18 June 2011 Different School pupils in EES turn out in Torit to observe the African child Day [©Gurtong]By Peter Lokale Nakimangole TORIT, 17th June, 2011 [Gurtong] – Eastern Equatoria State citizens and school pupils joined the rest of the African continent on Thursday to commemorate African Child Day under the theme of "All Together for Urgent Actions in Favour of Street Children.”
This annual event acknowledges the plight of children from around the African Nations. Children voiced their concerns through poems and drama during the occasion as they expressed their suffering. They urged parents to give equal rights to their children. Pupils complained that they had been victimized and ignored by their parents, left tortured, sexually abused by the elderly men. “We are often subject to violence, abuse and exploitation,” they lamented. Airport View primary school pupils sang a song that highlights how young girls are always abused sexually by elderly rich men and taxi operators. A representative from War child organization, Mr. Paul Odhiambo appealed for team work between his organization and State Ministry of Social Development and Culture. He said, “The day focuses on the responsibility wellbeing and bringing up our children.” Meanwhile Civil Society Organizations’ head in EES, Mr Jimmy Killang strongly condemned the popular culture where a girl child is used to compensate the deceased one as practiced by some communities in the State. He appealed to the State Government to help work together with his civil group in fighting the vice. “We mothers are the problem. Let’s know the responsibility of bringing up children properly lies on our hands. Do not depend on your husband for they often go out than we women.” Mrs. Davidica Ikai Grasiano the EES women representative admitted. Torit County Education Director called on parents to educate their children on good behaviour. “The Day belongs to all of us since nobody was born before the liberation war. We were all born during war time.” he said. Ms. Juliet Kwisa, a Civil Affairs Unit’s officer from UNMIS gave a brief background of the event. Kwisa said that, “In 1976, thousands of black school children took to the Soweto’s streets of South Africa where more than half a mile long in their March; they protested the second-rate quality of their education, demanding for their right to be taught in their own language. This resulted into hundreds of adolescent boys and girls being shot down by security forces. More than a hundred of these protestants were killed with thousands being injured during the two weeks demonstrations. She said that the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 16 June every year since 1991 to pay tribute to the memory of the innocent murdered children after it was first initiated by the then Organization of African Unity (now changed to African Union, AU). The Minister of Social Development, Mrs. Madgalene Beato Atiol who was the Guest of honour noted, “This Day seeks to create awareness on children’s plights and therefore it is used to encourage their protection by every adult who attains fatherhood or motherhood stage." Posted in: Home -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
