23 June 2023-KODOK, FASHODA-UPPER NILE: South Sudan Widows and Orphans Charitable Organization (WOCO) and other humanitarian agencies in Kodok, Fashoda County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State organized an event on Friday the 23 June, 2023 to Celebrate the Day of African Child. The three hours event drew students, and pupils from various schools in Kodok where several activities like songs, poems, drama, traditional dances and speeches were performed.
At least more than one thousand people, children and adults attended the event in which county authorities participated as well.
This year’s celebration of Day of African Child take place a week after official date on the 16th June 2023 due to logistical challenges for the organization of the event
In his address to the public in Kodok, the Commissioner of Fashoda Ronyo Deng appreciated WOCO for its untiring efforts in organizing the event and called on all the protection partners in the county to provide all the necessary assistance required to protect children. He however, urged the parents to take the first responsibility in protecting their children.
“You are the first to provide security and protection to your children right from the womb until they are born. This responsibility much continue until the child grows into adulthood. It is your responsibility as mother and father to ensure child right is protected and the child is sent to school, provided with everything he/she needs”
In 1991, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU instituted the DAC in memory of the 16th June 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa. At that time, students marched in protest against the poor quality of education they received and demanded to be taught in their languages.
The DAC serves to commemorate these children and the brave action they took in defense of their rights. The DAC thus celebrates the children of Africa and calls for serious introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent. The celebration should be contextualized by Member States as a build-up to the realization of the rights of children from the family/community level to national and international levels.
