Kigali, 16 June 2018-The Day of the African Child was organized by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion through the National Children’s Commission, the Ministry of Labor and Public Service, The National Early Childhood Development Program and their stakeholders. This year’s DAC was conjointly fêted with the World Day Against Child Labor on 16 June 2018 in Gakenke District, Nemba Sector focusing on Early Childhood Development interventions under the theme “Twitabire gahunda mbonezamikurire y’abana bato, dutegure ejo heza h’u Rwanda.”

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On the National level, the First Lady H.E Jeannette Kagame and other top government officials, private sector and different stakeholders joined close to three thousand Gakenke residents and their neighbors to echo on child rights and protection.

Speaking at the event, The First Lady thanked different partners for their starring role in investing in Early Childhood Development noting that the ECD centers they have helped to build, have become havens of holistic growth to thousands of Rwandan children, and have given them a chance to prepare for the world that they will one day, pioneer. She also called for planning on early childhood development at all levels.

‘Celebrating the two days should go hand in hand with ensuring children’s rights and maximize on preventing barriers affecting their development. While planning both on district level and in other sectors, it is vital to also plan for early childhood development because it is an enormous investment which will result in building a country (Rwanda) with strong economy based on (its) children’s knowledge.’ –Noted The First Lady

The Government of Rwanda has been fully committed to advance child rights protection and promotion, especially from early age, which is the critical period that shapes future generation. Based on Rwanda’s Integrated Child Rights Policy and the strategy for National Child Care Reform, Early Childhood Development is increasingly being put on the agenda for the promotion of children’s rights. By 2018, more than four hundred ECD centers have been constructed, accommodating children between 0-6 years in a holistic manner and incorporating health, nutrition, water and sanitation, parenting education, early learning, child protection and interventions that support their full development.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Honorable Nyirasafari Esperance greeted Rwandan Government efforts in investing in Early Childhood Development by expanding EDC centers across the country adding that the vision is to build ECD centers in each village, benefiting all Rwandan children.

The Minister added: ’We STRONGLY condemn any kind of Child Labor and whoever employs teenagers because it affects not only children’s education but also their development and well-being at large.’

The celebration of the Day of the African Child and the World Day against Child Labor, comes after the second ECD symposium themed “Integrated ECD interventions for optimum child development (starting from conception)” which took place on 14 June 2018 at Kigali Convention Center. A series of activities bringing awareness to the importance of adopting Early Child Development practices within the families and enabling access to ECD interventions at decentralized level, were also carried out from May to June 2018. The emphasizing on sensitizing stakeholders, parents and the community at large, on the importance of increasing ECD services for the 0-6 year olds, for higher impact on the child’s health and future well-being.

The Day of African Child commemoration originates from Soweto uprising in South Africa during the apartheid in 1976 where students protested against the poor quality of education they received and demanded to be taught in their own language. Its celebration is considered as a call for action to all State Parties of the AU and to the World in general to increase efforts in ensuring that the rights of children are protected and promoted, and that strong measures are taken to fight against any form of violence inflicted on children. At the level of the African continent, this year’s DAC theme states: “Leave no child behind for Africa’s Development.”

The World Day Against Child Labor was launched by The International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labor and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as the general public from around the world to highlight the plight of child laborers and what can be done to help them.