The Katabi town council Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) under their umbrella Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Network on June 30, joined the entire world to celebrate the day of African Child under the theme; “The rights of the child in the digital environment.“
The celebrations started with the learners’ debate with a participation of over 20 schools within Katabi town council, Wakiso district which was held at Kitala primary school as well as the band procession.
While at the final event, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner in Wakiso, Jacqueline Kankunda asked the children to respect their parents, teachers, leaders among other elders in their capabilities.
She also urged parents and guardians not to force children into child labour especially those that send them to the streets to sell fruits among other snacks at night which she said, puts children’s lives at a risk.
Samuel Nsubuga the CSO chairperson highlighted that the digital environment has managed to ease communication, education, and making awareness of children’s rights, but noted that, it has posed harm on the other hand.
“Children can access data that are beyond their understanding,” he noted, hence appealing for guidance and supervision while they are using the digital gadgets.
“This starts with parents, therefore you need to learn how to use the digital gadgets so that you guide the young generation on how to use the digital environment effectively,” he added.
The Katabi town council boss Ronald Kalema emphasized that as far as children’s rights are concerned, homosexuality is a sin that shouldn’t be practiced and therefore asked the young ones not to get engaged in such evil acts.
Moses Matovu the director of the Huys Link community initiative noted that it’s important to use this kind of initiative to add the voice of children’s rights.
Happy Kunihira, a primary seven learner at Kitala primary school said that during the COVI- 19 pandemic, with the help of their parents and teachers, they were able to use digital gadgets as a learning tool that helped them to continue with their studies which she says, made more good than harm.
The head teacher of Kitala primary school, Daniel Kabanda appealed to the government and other stakeholders to continue providing digital gadgets to schools so that all children get a chance to access them in a way of improving the education sector by the guidance of teachers and other instructors.
About the African Child Day
The International Day of the African Child is celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organisation of African Union (OAU) and honors those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day.
It also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement of the education provided to African children.
In Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976, about ten thousand black schoolchildren marched in a column more than half a mile long, protesting the poor quality of their education and demanding their right to be taught in their language.
Hundreds of young students were shot, the most famous of which was Hector Pieterson. Sadly, more than a hundred people were killed in the protests of the following two weeks, and more than a thousand were injured.
On June 16 every year, governments, NGOs, international organisations, and other stakeholders gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realisation of the rights of children in Africa.
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