A direct and compelling headline
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The Day of the African Child
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42 years ago on June 16
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1976 nearly ten thousand black students from Soweto, South Africa, marched the streets to protest the poor quality of their education. They marched as a way to demonstrate their disapproval of the Bantu Education Act, which segregated students based on their race. However, what began as a peaceful demonstration ended in bloodshed. During the protest, hundreds of innocent students were shot and others were badly injured. 1991, June 16 was declared the annual Day of the African Child by the Organization of African Unity now the African Union, to commemorate those killed during the Soweto Uprising in South Africa and to recognize the courage of the students who marched for their right to an education. The Day of the African Child is also an opportunity to raise awareness for the need to improve children’s education across Africa. Half of the millions of children out of school are African therefore the need for education to improve exists even today.
According to UNESCO, there are 55 million children who do not go to school in Sub-Saharan Africa meaning that less than 12% of African children currently have access to early childhood care and education services. However, progress has been made. According to the annual African Economic Outlook report published in May 2017, almost twice as many girls in East Africa and three times as many in Central Africa completed secondary education in 2014 as in 2005.
Though progress has been made since the Soweto Uprising, 1 in 10 children are still missing from the classroom. Children are not being educated due to a number of reasons such as parents not being able to pay for school fees, the distance to the nearest schools is far, early marriage for girls and many other barriers that impact children. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure all children are receiving a quality education. This will lead to children, especially girls, who are more likely to stay healthy, be more independent and become a force for social change and if all children in low-income countries get to leave school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty.
This year, the Day of the African Child was commemorated under the theme “Leave No Child Behind” and emphasized the need to focus on children’s rights in all developmental programs implemented by the African Member States (Agenda 2030). The theme highlighted the need to ensure that no child is left behind by targeting those who are not benefitting from Africa’s growth and development. This means that whenever developmental programs and policies for implementing Agenda 2030 are undertaken, children should be the main focus and member states should make sure that no child is left behind in the drive towards sustainable development especially since children form the majority of Africa’s population.
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The iconic picture that changed a country
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On Wednesday June 16
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1976, thousands of black students in Soweto, South Africa, took to the streets to protest the apartheid education system that obliged them to be taught in Afrikaans. They had no idea that the protest would not only change the course of South African history, but it would also profoundly impact their lives and that of three other people who are now linked to the uprising through a single image that shook the world. The iconic image that grabbed the world's attention and helped change the course of South African history was taken by Sam Nzima, a photographer who passed away on May 12
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2018. The photograph was one of six frames showing Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying 12-year-old Hector Pieterson who was shot by police, and Hector’s sister, Sithole Pieterson running alongside.
Nzima’s photograph quickly became known as the most evocative photograph to emerge from the struggle against apartheid and was printed onto numerous T-shirts, posters and pamphlets becoming virtually synonymous with protest.it has also reappeared in the form of artwork, memorials, monuments and cartoons.
One Art historian, Colin Richards suggested that powerful images can also be extraordinarily vulnerable, for when they are sensationalized overexposure can weaken the historical moments they capture. Over time one wonders to what degree does a powerful photograph reduce commemoration to the name of one person, thus overlooking the tragedies of other individuals who were killed on the same day. Due to the wide reach of Nzima’s photograph, it was initially believed that Hector Pieterson was the first student to be killed by the police which wasn’t the case. A certain Hastings Ndlovu who was being sought out by the police was the first one to go down according to oral testimonies.
It is remarkable how Nzima’s photograph has been persistent and has raised ongoing debates. It wasn’t reduced to one-dimensional interpretation. Like the recent correlations between the Rhodes Must Fall movement and the Soweto Uprising, it has a performative engagement. New generations have used the image to redefine events in their own terms and in their own contexts which have kept the photograph alive.
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Related News & Articles Across the continent
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"For Zimbabwe, the occasion of the Day of the African child offers an opportunity for Government to evaluate progress made in ensuring that children are protected from any form of abuse. Section 19 of the Constitution provides for children’s rights where every child is to be protected from maltreatment, neglect or any form of abuse and have access to appropriate education and training.
In light of this, Heal Zimbabwe calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to adopt policies and measures that ensure that every child is protected from violence, abuse or torture and be protected from harmful cultural practices, exploitation and all forms of abuse.
With elections fast approaching, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) must without delay develop mechanisms for early detection of areas of potential conflicts and disputes especially those that directly affect children."
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"On June 13
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2018, Cameroonian Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irene Nguene, opened a Child Protection Village which has been set up in the courtyard of the National Museum, Yaoundé as part of the commemoration of the Day of the African Child."
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"Here in Kenya, the Day of the African Child 2018 provides an opportunity to reflect on the emerging issues affecting children. The level of violence, abuse and exploitation of children is still high despite the existence of progressive laws to protect children. Lately there has been a surge on domestic violence cases which have spiraled out of control and resulted to the harming and sometimes loss of lives of children. Other issues facing children in Kenya include: Child labour, child trafficking, abandonment, defilement and physical assault, lack of voice on the issues involving them and negative cultural practices such as FGM, forced marriage among others.
The rights of the child that is survival, protection, development and participation are protected under the Children’s Act (2001) and Article 53 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010). The regional and international legal and policy frameworks in support of the best interests of the child include African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) and the Millennium Development Goals."
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“Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children NGOs (AONN) believes that orphans and vulnerable children should have access to the basic need of life through well-coordinated, articulated and knowledgeable organizations in an enabling legal and social-economic environment.
Also speaking the National Coordinator of the Assocaition for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria (AONN), Mrs. Grace Dafiel, said the programme would make children to be more knowledgeable about their rights.
“The children will go home more knowledgeable about their rights. They are going to be conscious of what it takes to maintain those rights as well as going to the communities to become ambassadors to ensure they educate other children about their rights”.
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The African Democracy Forum knowing that the democratic future of Africa relies on its young people, would like to give Africa’s young a voice to discuss what their thinking on democracy is as a means of contributing to the debate of democracy in Africa.
Noting the influence that social media has had on African youth and their ability to interact with their leaders. We look to this competition to have youth embrace technology, and through its use depict in either video or image (photography) format their practical solutions to the challenges faced by democracy in their respective countries.
The African Image Youth Competition was launched on the 25th of May 2018 and will be closing on the 15th of July 2018.
For more information check this
Link
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