Dar presses for more action to protect children

Dar es Salaam. The government should quicken the formulation and implementation of a law to give pregnant school girls a chance to go back to school after giving birth, children rights activists have appealed.

The advocates were speaking at an event to mark the Day of the African Child (DAC) held in city yesterday where they called for the attention of African governments, including Tanzania to their responsibilities in ensuring children’s right to education in accordance with the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Children’s Charter).

The day marked with the theme “Child friendly, quality, free and compulsory education for all children in Africa points out to the issue of safer schools as a prerequisite to ensure quality education in the first place.

The Campaign manager for ‘everyone’ project at Save the children Ms Jasminka Milovanovic said it is high time the government abolished corporal punishments in schools and that there is need for coordinated efforts in creating awareness on the situation in schools and to come up with actions to be taken regarding making schools safer plus providing more quality education to students.

She said if the government and other stakeholders joined their forces and put their hands together in promoting free education to the youth there is a great opportunity in achieving better education for all.

“There are already promising things happening, but Tanzania still has a long way to go as far as reaching the targets” she said.

According to the United Nations Population Fund’s State of the World Population 2013 report, if more effort went into the education of girls and their reproductive health--and all adolescents who drop out of school and get married completed their education, gained skills and got employed or simply employed themselves--the cumulative effect of their productivity would add Sh8.35 trillion to the GDP every year.

Meanwhile,in celebrating this year’s African Child Day, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) yesterday issued a statement condemning laxities in taking stern measure against individuals involved in crimes against children.

Mr Harold Sungusia, LHRC Acting Executive Director told the press yesterday that the community has forgotten the role and position children need to be given in the society, and, instead it has consistently abused them in several ways.

“Many of the under 14 children in Africa have been involved in harmful and dangerous activities. Some are being forced to work in mining centers, industries while others are forced to join insurgent mill arty groups,” said Mr Sungusia

African children, including those in Tanzania, he said are lacking social protection through the existing segregation and discrimination especially against those with disabilities.

“We would like to urge every Tanzanian –and the government to be responsible in defending children rights by ensuring that all convicts of child right abuse are dealt with accordingly,” said Mr Sungusia.

In another development, to mark the day, Hai District, along with government officials, UNICEF and Save the Children, launched a One Stop Center at the Hai District Hospital, which will help to provide support to women and children who have been affected by violence.

“With the One Stop Centre model, Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Children services including medical, psychosocial, security/protection and legal support can now be provided at one location within the health facility premises in a well-coordinated manner,” said Mr. Charles Pallangyo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

During the event, UNICEF Tanzania officially appointed bongo flava star Ambwene Yessayah, better known as AY and former Miss Tanzania, Faraja Kotta Nyalandu as National Goodwill Ambassadors for UNICEF Tanzania’s ‘End Violence against Children’ campaign. They both pledged their support for the ‘End Violence against Children’ campaign and expressed excitement about the honor to lend their voices to advocate for child protection.

“Being appointed as a UNICEF Tanzania Ambassador is a huge honor for me and I am committed to lend my voice and use my fame to help end violence against children in Tanzania,” AY said upon accepting the title.

With the appointment of AY and Faraja Kotta Nyalandu as Ambassadors for the ‘End Violence Against Children’ campaign, UNICEF hopes to add a strong voice and increased visibility to the urgent debate about violence against children and demonstrate that there are solutions. To begin their work with UNICEF Tanzania, AY and Faraja visited the Gender and Children’s Desk at the Hai police station to see first-hand the work being done to support children and women affected by violence. Ends

Reported by Henry Mwangonde, Paivi Lakka, Sturmius Mtweve and Katare Mbashiru