16 June 2017: Day of the African Child

The 2017 Day of the African Child (DAC) will be commemorated on 16 June with the theme “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Children in Africa: Accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunity.”

The Child friendly version of the theme is “Accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for children in Africa by 2030.″

The Day of the African Child is commemorated every year on 16 June in memory of the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, during which students who marched in protest against the poor quality of education were massacred by the current apartheid regime.

The Organization of the African Unity initiated the annual celebration of International Day of the African Child. This day has been observed every year since 1991.

The Soweto Uprising is one of the worldwide known events that took place in South Africa in 1976. About 20,000 school children marched in a column more than a half-mile long. They demanded a better educational system and facilities, to address issues such as poorly trained teachers, overcrowded classrooms and separate schools provided by the Apartheid regime. Hundreds of school children were killed in clashes with police.

Observation of the International Day of the African Child raises public awareness of the need for the improvement of education in Africa. Every year governments, non-governmental organizations and international organizations gather on 16 June 16 to discuss and implement the full realization of children’s rights in Africa.

http://www.acerwc.org/ourevents/day-of-the-african-child-2017/

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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