Day of the African Child Commemoration
By Brenda Bonareri
“Education for all children in Africa: the time is now” is the 2024 theme for the Day of the African Child (DAC) commemoration.
Every year since 1991, the commemoration of the DAC happens on June 16th. It was first initiated by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to honor those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976. It also raises awareness of the continuing need for improvement in the education provided to African children.
This year was not different when it came to the celebration of this special day.The International Network of Religious Leaders Living With or Personally Affected By HIV (INERELA+) Kenya hosted the commemoration on 15th June at the Presbyterian Guest House, Nairobi, Kenya. Several stakeholders attended the event to mark this special day. During the event, we had the Swahili tagline “Afya yetu utajiri wetu,” which means our health, our wealth.
The event was graced by government officials from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), and civil registration services. Civil society and communities were also represented by religious leaders from different religions and CSOs like Stop TB Partnership Kenya, WACI Health, VacciNations Campaign, EGPAF, WOFAK, and Mtoto News, among others. Children were also in attendance.Throughout the speeches, the need to protect children was emphasized. There was also a lot of emphasis on living in a discrimination-free world for HIV-infected people.
NASCOP highlighted the government’s commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission. They also informed us of the government’s triple threat strategy, which includes three things: ending GBV by 2027, ending teenage pregnancies, and eliminating new infections among children by 2027. ”The ministry of health is an active promoter of child protection. Let us champion good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, education, and nurturing, said Janette Karimi, Head of Newborn and Child Health, Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Education representative emphasized that the protection of children is not only on the UN agenda but also on the African and Government of Kenya agendas. She stressed how education is the key to children’s dreams, but HIV and TB remain threats to this. She believes this event reminds us of our collective responsibility to protect, nurture and empower children. “Let us work collaboratively to ensure no child is left behind.”
The event ended with the launch of the Call to Action, which had several action points for the government and other stakeholders. This included a call to the ministry of health to support vaccination for children, a call to communities to provide a safe environment for children, and a call for the government to invest more in children’s health, among other action points.
The VacciNations campaign led by PATH and WACI Health calls for the prioritization of children’s immunization. Stronger advocacy and commitment from our leaders is needed to ensure African children receive the immunization needed for a strong and healthy life. Children deserve to live in a safe community!