Children take the lead on World Children’s Day in South Sudan

World Children’s Day is a day for children by children.

To highlight the importance of adults to respect the voice of children, UNICEF Child Reporters in South Sudan took over some key positions normally held by adults including the State Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare on 18 November and the post of the UNICEF Representative on 19 November. Other children took over three radio stations – UN Radio Miraya, Eye Radio and Youth Advance Radio – and the social media handles of UNICEF South Sudan.

World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on 20 November, the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to the Convention, children have the right to express their opinion on any issues that matter to them. It's important for adults to listen to what children have to say and take their messages seriously. 

In the above photo, Rufas Loro, a seventeen-year-old who is differently-abled, tells his story during the UNICEF Child Reporters take-over at Eye Radio, about how he was able to study from elementary to secondary exams, despite the challenges, and successfully graduated from Senior4 and is now applying to university.