Wednesday June 16th was The International Day of the African Child which was marked by several events aimed at including children in the decisions which affect the running of their countries. Plan UK reports.

The commemorative day is in recognition of the violent Soweto riots which took place on the same day in 1976.  Hundreds of schoolchildren mobilized and clashed with authorities in protest of Apartheid and the decision to make Afrikaans the official language of education. This was merely the catalyst that began a clash of civilians and police which ended in several deaths and many injuries.

In memory of these brave girls and boys, each year events are held that focus on the needs of children throughout the continent. For this year’s events, The African Union chose the theme of planning and budgeting that includes children as both a first priority and as a collective responsibility.

“National budgets reflect the values of a country – who it values, whose work it values and who it rewards, as well as those it doesn’t” explains Mwape Mulumbi of Plan Zambia.

EVENTS

In Zambia, parents involved in various Plan programmes as well as children who are part of a Plan UK run Debate and Press club, gathered to discuss Government spending and weather or not this spending is in the best interests of Zambian children and youth. They concluded that spending should focus primarily on health, education, recreational development (especially for younger children) and programmes that work to prevent substance abuse, prostitution and crime for younger people. A more preventative approach was deemed more valuable in the context of their community.

The positives include Zambia’s recently improved schooling system, though there were concerns about accessibility. Ten year old Lubona said, “In the village where I come from, we can’t get to school in the rainy season because some roads cross the river beds which fill up and there are no bridges.”

In Chibomo, similar discussions amongst citizens yielded another set of priorities. The areas they would like to see the government invest in include, water and sanitation systems – which would help to combat disease, the second issue on the list – combatting malnutrition and increasing the literacy rate.

A mother involved in a Plan nutrition project said, “We would like to see our government invest more in programmes that help us ensure that our babies grow healthy and survive.  For some of us, it is just lack of knowledge about proper child feeding practices and knowing the variety of crops we should be growing.  Our bumper harvests of maize only help us combat hunger, not malnutrition.”

Plan UK currently works in conjunction with the UK Department for International Development to promote greater transparency and accountability in governments throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.