Day of the African Child

Saturday (June 16th) was “Day of the African Child,” a day to celebrate achievements in the state of children in Africa. There was big celebration in Jinja where local children sang and performed with their school choirs. Vicki and I had made plans to travel to a little island on the Nile for the weekend so unfortunately couldn’t make it to festivities. As we had heard a lot about it though through volunteering at the orphanage it was on my mind. As we drove Saturday morning – I noticed how many small children were working (they always are, I guess I was just more attentive). 4 or 5 years old girls carrying jerry cans full of water on their heads, young boys and girls working in the fields. Made me wonder why these children were excluded, forgotten from the celebrations.

While flipping through Saturdays newspaper – read about Kony’s atrocities in northern Uganda. Children being abducted, beaten, forced to carry out raids, burn houses, beat and kill other civilians and abduct other children.

Same paper there was a section where children had written in their messages to African Fathers for fathers day on Sunday. Couple excerpts:

“African Fathers should respect their wives and children by avoiding torturing and beating them” – Age 10

“All fathers should love their children. Instead of beating them when they do something wrong, they should show them the right thing to do. Children always learn from their fathers when they do not beat them” – Age 10

“Fathers should live longer and look after their families properly” – Age 12

Not the kind of things you read about fathers day in Canada. Again really puts things into perspective. Although I think there are a lot of things to celebrate for the “Day of the African Child” (universal primary education for one), I think there is still a long way to go.