UNICEF Botswana Marks Day of the African Child 2025 with Call to prioritize child-centred budgeting
Theme: “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010.”
Against the backdrop of fiscal uncertainty and economic headwinds across the continent, UNICEF Botswana joined the nation in commemorating the Day of the African Child 2025 under the theme: “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010.”
The event, held in Tlokweng recently, served as both a celebration of progress and a solemn reminder of the ongoing need to place children at the heart of development priorities. The commemorative gathering was attended by Hon. Phenyo Segokgo, Member of Parliament for Tlokweng Constituency, as well as local dignitaries, government representatives, civil society partners, educators, and most importantly - schoolchildren from the surrounding communities. Delivering the keynote address, UNICEF Botswana’s Acting Country Representative, Mr. Samuel Phiri, underscored the importance of sustaining investment in children even amid national fiscal pressures and global economic turbulence.
We gather today amid global and national economic uncertainty. Botswana, like many nations, is facing fiscal pressures driven by external shocks such as the sustained downturn in the diamond market, but this, too, shall pass. Let us not allow the challenges of today to overshadow the promise of tomorrow. Fiscal constraints must never come at the expense of our children’s future
Mr. Phiri highlighted that planning and budgeting for children’s rights is not just a technical requirement, but a developmental and moral imperative. He reminded participants that investing in children yields the highest returns over the long term, both socially and economically.
Investing in children is not charity; it is smart economics. A child who is healthy, educated, protected, and empowered becomes the foundation of a prosperous, resilient nation. Every pula invested in child-focused programmes is a down payment on our collective future
The Day of the African Child has been celebrated annually since 1991 in honour of the 1976 student uprisings in Soweto, South Africa, where children marched in protest against an education system that marginalized them. The 2025 commemoration theme provided a critical lens through which to assess the progress Botswana has made in aligning national budgets and plans with the rights and needs of its children since the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) monitoring began in 2010.
Hon. Phenyo Segokgo echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that development efforts must be inclusive of every Motswana child, regardless of their socio-economic background.
We cannot speak of national development and leave our children behind, children are not a peripheral issue in policymaking - they are central to our aspirations as a nation
The event featured poetry, drama, and musical performances by local schoolchildren, who used their voices to call for better access to quality education, health services, and protection from violence and exploitation. Their messages reflected the day’s ethos - giving children a platform to be heard and valued in decision-making processes.
UNICEF Botswana remains committed to working in close partnership with government ministries, parliament, civil society, and communities to advocate for increased budgetary allocations for child-focused services, monitor implementation, and ensure accountability.aAs Mr. Phiri concluded in his remarks
Let us recommit ourselves to building a Botswana where no child is left behind - where every budget line tells the story of a child whose life has changed for the better
