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An estimated 30 million street children live in Africa. Each year, the Day draws attention to the lives of African children and of all persons and organisations involved in improving the condition of children on the continent. The 2011 theme of the "street child" focuses on the plight of those children (as termed by UNICEF):
The 2011 observance of this Day seeks to contribute to widespread awareness of the dangers street children face, promote the taking of urgent steps to protect them and determine strategies for providing effective child protection and care. On Thursday 16 June, Ka Tutandike, as a leading NGO that focuses on ‘protecting the rights of marginalized children' in Uganda - will initiate a series of key activities to mark the Day of the African Child. The team at KTU will focus on several child-focused activities in its 3 programme and project areas. These include : A presentation of songs, poems and plays by children from Noble's Daycare centre and St Jude Daycare/Nursery will be held at Our lady St Jude main hall in Kampala. KTU will also take the opportunity to explain the importance and origin of this day to parents and teachers so that in subsequent years they will continue to mark this special day in celebration of their children. After the presentations, the children will enjoy playing in a bouncing castle. The 2 special needs schools in Masaka have identified other 2 schools in their neighborhood at which the Deaf students will perform a play on the theme of ‘street children' which is this year's theme for the day. A writing competition will also be held on the topic about ‘being an African child'. Prizes will be awarded to the best five stories selected. |
Ka Tutandike Celebrates the Day of the African Child |
The International Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 16 June each year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union). It honours those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 on that day in South Africa where thousands of black school children took to the streets, in a march, protesting the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot down; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand were injured. The Day also draws attention to the lives of African children today.