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International Day of the African Child

Every year, on June 16th, the IDAY network celebrates the Day of the African Child. This day commemorates the massacre of students during the 1976 demonstrations in Soweto, South Africa in favor of a better education for all.

What do coalitions do on this occasion?
> Urge states to ensure uniform and consistent protection of children’s rights across Africa.
> Align their national and sub-national plans with the various action plans such as Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure a holistic implementation of Agenda 2040.

The theme chosen by IDAY-Benin on the occasion of the day of June 16th was the importance of the Associations of the Pupils’ Mothers in the success of the schooling of the children in the North of Benin, in particular in the municipalities of Cobly and Matéri.

A plea was made for the official recognition of the Associations of Mothers of Pupils as a school management body.

In Burundi, the coalition chose to carry out actions on the theme of justice for young girls raped by their educators and other kinds of violence done to Burundian educated people.

What were these actions?
> Organization of the national event on the occasion of the International Day of the African Child on June 16.
> Mobilization the public and the media in order to incite government authorities and partners to take necessary measures.

In Ghana, the theme was: “Environmental education in the new curriculum”.

The objectives were:
> to sensitize and train teachers in school gardening in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in their region.
> to introduce Artemisia in each school garden, thus contributing to promote environmental education in Ghana.

On the occasion of the 16th of June, IDAY-Cameroon decided to carry out actions on the theme “a child, a birth certificate for a perennial education”.

What are these actions?
> Workshops to sensitize community leaders and traditional birth attendants on the importance of the systematic registration of births.
> Awareness campaign in schools and traditional chieftaincies.
> Awareness raising in the media on the importance of a birth certificate.

In Mauritania, the theme was: “identification and reintegration of child victims of domestic work”.

Their objectives were:
> to sensitize the regional and local administrative authorities on the June 16 activity program.
> to inform the population by broadcasting messages via a sound vehicle circulating throughout the day in the localities.

The coalition of IDAY-DRC/Kinshasa has carried out actions on the theme: “together for urgent actions in favor of the street children”.

What were these actions?
> Mobilize more than 5000 children to become effective actors of quality education for all and to facilitate the adhesion of the children with handicap and/or coming from precarious environment or from the street.
> Carry out an advocacy with the 16 authorities of Ministers in charge of children and education.

On the occasion of June 16, Kivu carried out actions on the following theme: “together for urgent actions in favor of displaced children.”

What were the actions of the coalition?
> Approaching political and administrative authorities and local leaders about respecting the rights of displaced children.
> Sensitize the community on the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic through the consumption of Artemisia Annua tea.
> Involve local communities to practice the cultivation of Artemisia annua in order to consume the tea to boost immunity against Covid-19 and malaria that affect the schooling of children.

On the occasion of the 16th of June, IDAY-Senegal carried out actions on the theme of “children’s rights to a legal identity and access to public services”.

Their objectives?
> Organize a press point on June 16th to share and inform about the situation and the initiatives taken in Guediawaye.
> Follow up on the files constituted at the court for the delivery of C16 birth certificates.

IDAY-Tanzania, in Nyaruguzu camp, carried out actions on the theme “30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerating the implementation of the Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children”.

The actions carried out were animations, sensitization and mobilization of the refugee community in order to promote the rights of the child as well as the use of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua.

In Togo, the coalition chose to carry out actions on the theme of the year of the African Union: “30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate the implementation of the Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children”.