CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD
To commemorate the Day of the African Child 2023 theme “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment,” it is pertinent that everyone aligns to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) fourth goal which aims at inclusive equitable education and promote lifelong learning. This target is yet to be reached in most African settings especially in the interest of children and young adults generally. It is important that children who are left behind in the digital environment be carried along because they need to thrive in the contemporary global economy.
All through the nooks and crannies, from the East, West, North, and South fringes of a vast land are African Children living under different conditions. Each child has great dreams to be the best they can aspire to or think of becoming professionals in different works of life contributing to their fields of endeavor in no small measure to increase knowledge and add value to the society at large which has now become a global village.
The average child has great aspirations notwithstanding their limitations, a dream which may come true or die at some point in life. Opportunities and privileges for disadvantaged children vary from country to country in the African context hence to realize their dreams availability of essential resources is critical. For many African countries, educational facilities are under-resourced or non-existent.
Further, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for educational advancement, cannot be overemphasized. Considering the fast developing pace of the modern world, young people in Africa have to double their efforts, with unwavering commitment and determination to achieve their dreams. The story of African children is largely pathetic. Every day is a battle to survive against all odds. In them is the hallmark of resilience and struggle, characters that have helped them through childhood.
In Nigeria, they experience limited access to education with some States termed as educationally disadvantaged, poor health-care and health rights are major problems they grapple with, as threats to their lives resulting from insecurity, sexual violence emanating from assault following the demise of parents in these challenging security imbroglio while some are victims as they are used as human shields or to fight in the conflicts.
Girls in non-volatile locations are either constrained by structural or non-structural segregation practices. Some have been serially abused domestically or by sexually abuse, yet they have no one to report to as a result of cultural practices which portray the men as being superior in every facet of life.
They are politically marginalized, beyond that, many girls have no access to education for the aforementioned reasons as they are deemed to ultimately belong to the kitchen or the other room which requires little or no education. The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria. Further, it is reported that 60% of the 13.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. This makes them more vulnerable as they cannot be empowered with the knowledge that could liberate them thereby contributing to poor health-seeking behaviors that limit their ability to access quality health care, be informed about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to enable them to have a stable family relationship. Females are more vulnerable to armed groups, they are exposed to sexual violence, terror, inhumane conditions, and vulnerable to criminal networks.
Taken together, threats to the well-being of African children must be addressed as it impacts their survival and potential to become tomorrow’s leaders. There is a need to increase children-focused interventions, especially in conflict areas. More livelihood, and child protection rights should be enforced and with self-development programs to save the African child and avert the impending danger of battered economies, and mortgaged futures. Also, in order not to impede children’s right to education, social protection, technology and others it is very important that access to affordable ICT devices, internet connectivity and awareness creation on digital education should be provided so the African child is not left behind.
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Last Updated: July 2, 2023 by Anthonia Fada
CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD
To commemorate the Day of the African Child 2023 theme “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment,” it is pertinent that everyone aligns to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) fourth goal which aims at inclusive equitable education and promote lifelong learning. This target is yet to be reached in most African settings especially in the interest of children and young adults generally. It is important that children who are left behind in the digital environment be carried along because they need to thrive in the contemporary global economy.
All through the nooks and crannies, from the East, West, North, and South fringes of a vast land are African Children living under different conditions. Each child has great dreams to be the best they can aspire to or think of becoming professionals in different works of life contributing to their fields of endeavor in no small measure to increase knowledge and add value to the society at large which has now become a global village.
The average child has great aspirations notwithstanding their limitations, a dream which may come true or die at some point in life. Opportunities and privileges for disadvantaged children vary from country to country in the African context hence to realize their dreams availability of essential resources is critical. For many African countries, educational facilities are under-resourced or non-existent.
Further, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for educational advancement, cannot be overemphasized. Considering the fast developing pace of the modern world, young people in Africa have to double their efforts, with unwavering commitment and determination to achieve their dreams. The story of African children is largely pathetic. Every day is a battle to survive against all odds. In them is the hallmark of resilience and struggle, characters that have helped them through childhood.
In Nigeria, they experience limited access to education with some States termed as educationally disadvantaged, poor health-care and health rights are major problems they grapple with, as threats to their lives resulting from insecurity, sexual violence emanating from assault following the demise of parents in these challenging security imbroglio while some are victims as they are used as human shields or to fight in the conflicts.
Girls in non-volatile locations are either constrained by structural or non-structural segregation practices. Some have been serially abused domestically or by sexually abuse, yet they have no one to report to as a result of cultural practices which portray the men as being superior in every facet of life.
They are politically marginalized, beyond that, many girls have no access to education for the aforementioned reasons as they are deemed to ultimately belong to the kitchen or the other room which requires little or no education. The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria. Further, it is reported that 60% of the 13.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. This makes them more vulnerable as they cannot be empowered with the knowledge that could liberate them thereby contributing to poor health-seeking behaviors that limit their ability to access quality health care, be informed about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to enable them to have a stable family relationship. Females are more vulnerable to armed groups, they are exposed to sexual violence, terror, inhumane conditions, and vulnerable to criminal networks.
Taken together, threats to the well-being of African children must be addressed as it impacts their survival and potential to become tomorrow’s leaders. There is a need to increase children-focused interventions, especially in conflict areas. More livelihood, and child protection rights should be enforced and with self-development programs to save the African child and avert the impending danger of battered economies, and mortgaged futures. Also, in order not to impede children’s right to education, social protection, technology and others it is very important that access to affordable ICT devices, internet connectivity and awareness creation on digital education should be provided so the African child is not left behind.
Category: International Days