Youth leaders within the YouthInAction network together with those from the African Children and Youth Network for Human Rights/Réseau des Enfants et Jeunes Africains pour les Droits Humains (REJADH) have called for the need to promote and uphold children’s rights in commemoration this year’s Day of the African Child. Both the youths networks are part of the wider Arigatou International community.

The YouthInAction from Mombasa, Kenya joined the Aga Khan Foundation and Red Cross in an event where they advocated for the need to include children, listen to them and engage them at levels of decision making and strategy, in matters affecting them, especially their rights. Speakers at the event, including the youth, expressed confidence that eradication of hunger and promotion of peace would serve multiple purposes including achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 16 respectively, eradicate poverty affecting children and at the same time provide a conducive environment to uphold children rights.

They acknowledged that child poverty was rife in the regions and was one of the main drivers of undermining the rights of the child, hence they committed to eradicating poverty. Other issue they committed to act upon were; sexual violence against children, recruitment of child soldiers, children health and education. The instructors had been gathered on 16 June in commemoration of the Day of the African Child in an event organized by our youth partners in DRC, under REJADH.

There is a growing need for promotion and protection of the rights of the child as a means to alleviate children from the various challenges facing them, especially in humanitarian situations. At Arigatou International – End Child Poverty, we support and encourage such unified calls from our partners to protect the rights of the child as a major contribution to lift them out of poverty.