Due to widespread poverty in Africa, the rights of children in this part of the world are not considered important. There is massive abuse of the rights of children, especially because children themselves and our elders do not know what constitutes the rights of the child.
In a poverty-stricken home, will parents give their last morsel of food to their child while they themselves starve? I doubt that! Children are, therefore, not getting access to food and are being denied basic education and health.
That is why there is the need for African leaders to eradicate poverty on the continent by focusing attention on providing jobs for their people.
In our country, the government is doing a lot to help children by building more schools and introducing the Malaria Control Programme to improve on their health. These are laudable programmes which all African leaders can adopt in their respective countries.
It is time the views of children were made to reflect in government policies and laws, since most of these affect children.
A case in point is the decision to extend the duration of the senior high school programme from three to four years where the views of students sought have not been taken seriously.
African leaders should also ensure that the policies they institute for children are rigidly adhered to.
I wish to express my gratitude to the government for the establishment of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service and also for ensuring that children attend school.
The celebration of the Africa Union Day of the African Child reminds us all of the rights of children, which are fundamental and should be respected in our society. These include the right to shelter, food and free expression.
In some places, instead of children going to school, they are left on their own to cater for themselves. Consequently, they engage in child labour, drug abuse, prostitution, among other vices.
In most cases, the rights of children are not recognised and are trampled upon due to ignorance.
Our leaders should involve young people in the decision-making process, since they suffer the effects of the policies instituted by adults.
Children, on their part, are grateful for being assured of their right to education and health through programmes such as the National Immunisation Days and the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).
The day is worth celebrating because most of us young people do not know our rights, which I think should be protected. Although some of these rights are being protected, majority of them have been violated, especially when it has to do with the rights of children in rural areas.
Majority of children in these areas are not in school because education is not considered important to most parents there.
Rather, the children are used as labourers by their parents to assist them in their trades where they are given a token. This has exposed many children to life on the street and hazards such as rape, defilement, teenage pregnancy, robbery, etc.
The government should go to the aid of all such children. It should create more employment opportunities to reduce rural-urban migration involving young people, with its attendant problems.
I, however, congratulate the government on the introduction of good policies such as the National Health Insurance Scheme which will go a long way to benefit children, as well as our parents.
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