ALL TOGETHER FOR URGENT ACTION IN FAVOUR OF STREET CHILDREN.
The Day of African Child is commemorated on 16th June every year. The event is usually marked to honor gallant youths who lost their lives in South Africa in the year 1976. The youths had taken to the streets to demand to be taught in their own language and denounce the foreign education system that was introduced to them by the Apartheid regime. During the protest, there was a violent encounter between the school children and the police that resulted into the deaths of hundreds of these children. Marking the day therefore strengthens the initiatives to improve the life chances of children through out the African continent. The Day serves as an opportunity to encourage initiatives in promoting the rights and improving the wellbeing for children.
The theme for this year’s (2011) Day of African Child was “All together for Urgent Action in Favor of street Children.”In Kenya, the situation of children is not yet fully addressed. The children needs that are usually not addressed include food, education, health and shelter. With the weakening family and extended family systems in our society, most children find themselves without proper social support with incapacitation and careless parental responsibility. This would deny the children a chance to access their basic needs such as proper health care, education, shelter and nutrition. On this day therefore, we are called upon as communities, families and individuals to have a responsibility to provide appropriate care and protection to all street children to be re – integrated back into the society for better care so as to discover their potentials for their future productivity. St. Camillus Dala Kiye Children Welfare Home therefore joined the rest of the community in marking this very important event. Dala Kiye program provided the children with the opportunity to run the event under the guidance of Program Coordinator bearing in mind that children were the focus of this particular event. To set the occasion rolling was an opening prayer that was presided over by a pupil from Rabuor Karungu primary school. Thereafter, the two masters of ceremony, Robert Kotingo and Violet Odhiambo who are pupils at B.L Tezza Complex Primary welcomed all the participants to the celebration. In attendance were pupils from a number of primary schools in Karungu namely: Obondi, Nyamanga Disii, Gunga, Agolomuok, Kaduro, Rabuor, Kopala, Aringo and B.L Tezza Complex Primary. Also in attendance were students from B.L Tezza Complex Secondary, Gunga Secondary, teachers and a host of other invited guests.
Later, the pupils were provided with an opportunity to showcase their talents through songs, dances, drama, choral verses and solo verses. All the articles presented highlighted on the plight of African children with emphasis being put on the need for all the stakeholders to join hands and mobilize the resources that will help address the needs of the child ranging from education, health care, shelter and protection. Dala Kiye children presented a very entertaining dance that urged the community members to put more emphasis on the promotion of child rights.
Esther Siso, Abisalom Wasungu and Scovia Anyango were the three child guests that graced the occasion. Esther and Abisalom are both total orphans and are students at B.L Tezza Complex secondary school while Scovia who is a partial orphan is a pupil at B.L Tezza Complex Primary school. In their speeches, they emphasized on equal education opportunities for all children, provision of basic necessities and child protection. Dala Kiye, as the organizer of the event ensured that all the invited pupils were well fed. Each pupil was issued with a 250ml packet of milk and a half a loaf of bread. All attendants were also given sweets. Teachers were also refreshed with a bottle of soda. The children enjoyed the meal very much. The boys’ friendly football match involved B.L Tezza Complex and Gunga Primary schools. The entertaining match was watched by a big crowd that cheered their teams wildly. After one hour of a nerve wrecking encounter, B.L Tezza Primary school emerged victorious after defeating their opponents by one goal to nil.
Mr. George Anyanga, Dala Kiye Program Coordinator presented a winners trophy to B.L Tezza Complex primary boys’ football team amid cheers from the crowd. Thereafter, the Coordinator thanked all the participants for honoring the invitations to attend this very special occasion in the lives of African children. He also thanked all the Dala Kiye staffs for working tirelessly hard and ensuring that the entire event was successful. He urged all those present to put into good use the rich information that they had acquired from presentations and speeches by children. The Coordinator then invited Violet Odhiambo who presided over the closing prayer after which the celebration officially came to an end.
The Day was successfully marked and about 600 children who were mostly pupils from schools in Karungu attended the occasion. Adequate information on Child rights was passed during this event. Entertainment was in plenty as a number of children presented well rehearsed articles that were very educative.
Child Participation was emphasized as the occasion was basically under the stewardship of children.
Report Prepared by: Lynnet Dwalloh
