World Children’s Day celebration in Beitbridge. Over 1000 children call for inclusive education
Celebration ends with the lightning of the border post of Beitbridge symbolizing child rights have no borders and need to be respected for every child, without discrimination
This year’s national celebration of World Children’s Day on 23 November 2023 commemorating the anniversary of the adoption of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, was held in Malala Primary School, a rural school at 17 kilometer west of Beitbridge, Matebeleland South Province. Guest of honor was the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honorable Dr. CGDN Chiwenga. The theme of this year’s Word Children’s Day was inclusive education, aimed at ensuring all children - without discrimination – have access to quality education. The commemoration included an evening event at the Beitbridge border with South Africa where the border post was lightened in blue to call for continued attention for the rights of every child to health, education, protection and participation.
UNICEF Representative Dr Tajudeen Oyewale greeting at the Malala Primary School the Guest of honor of the national World Children’s Day commemoration Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Dr. CGDN Chiwenga. The event was further marked by the presence of more than 1000 children, several high-level Government officials, including the Minister of Local Government and Public Works Mr Winston Chitando and the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution of Matabeleland South Province Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, the Child President of Zimbabwe Mr Neville Mavu, as well as His Excellency Ambassador of the United Kingdom Mr Peter Vowles, the Chargee d’Affaires of the Embassies of Ghana and Zambia, UN Resident Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon and UNICEF Representative Dr Tajudeen Oyewale.
Guest of honor of the national World Children’s commemoration Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Dr. CGDN Chiwenga, saluting Zimbabwean’s Child President Neville Mavu on the main podium at the Malala Primary School venue. During his remarks the Vice-President highlighted respect of the rights of children is a priority of the Government of Zimbabwe. In his remark the guest of honour referred to the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe, which includes a strong reference to the rights of children, and to recent legislation that was passed including the Education Act to ensure all children of Zimbabwe have access to quality education.
A sea of blue t-shirts with a strong message calling for inclusive education. At World Children’s Day celebration in Beitbridge, children ask Government leaders and their partners – including UNICEF, the Global Partnership for Education, and the United Kingdom - to ensure all children in the country have access to quality education, including children with disabilities, children on the move and children living in a vulnerable household.
Poverty and disabilities are among the main triggers for children at primary school not to be in school. Children with disabilities are often deprived of their right to and in education as schools and teachers are lacking the resources, trainings, and skills to ensure inclusive education. It is estimated that only 10% of children with disabilities are today in school. To tackle poverty, the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, and partners are rolling out a cash transfer programme aimed at reducing the vulnerability of households and guaranteeing access to good nutrition and education for their children. The programme is also implemented in Beitbridge. Celebrating this World Children’s Day in the border city of Beitbridge is symbolic. As the right to education has no borders, and that all children - without any discrimination – should be ensured their right to education, including children on the move.
At the World Children’s Day event in Beitbridge Child President Neville Mavu highlights that children in Zimbabwe feel strong about their right to education. In preparation to World Children’s Day a consultation among nearly 500 children revealed children find the right to education to be the most important right, and most of them highlighted they want to be part of the organization of their school. The Child President further said children must not just be recipients of Government programmes, but active agents of change too: “As children we can help promote the rights of children, creating more awareness on children’s rights and highlighting issues that children in our countries are particularly concerned about, including early pregnancies, drug and substance abuse, the discrimination towards children with disabilities and school dropouts.”
His Excellency Mr Peter Volwes, and UNICEF Representative Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, were among the keynote speakers at the evening event of the World Children’s Day at the Beitbridge border post. They highlighted how under the leadership of the Government of Zimbabwe and through continued collaboration among all partners, the right to access quality education can be made a reality for all children of Zimbabwe. The evening event was led by three children acting as master of ceremony.
Children from different backgrounds – including child parliamentarians, junior councilors, and children with disabilities – teamed up at the evening event at the Beitbridge border post, enjoying each other’s company.
The evening event of the national World Children’s Day celebration in Beitbridge ended with a countdown led by the guest of honour Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honorable Dr. CGDN Chiwenga, to lighten in blue the border post of Beitbridge as a symbol for the rights of children to health, education, protection and participation having no borders.
