International Day of the African Child

Today, June 16th is International Day of the African Child.
On the anniversary of the 1976 Soweto protests, when thousands of black schoolchildren took to the streets under the South African apartheid regime, the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) dedicated a day to the honour of these brave actions. It is also a day to fight for the cause of children in trouble: the AIDS orphans, child soldiers and empoverished youth who will inherit the continent.

The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda honored the day with the following activities, as copied here from the Ministry's website:

To support the visited orphanage (Noel Nyundo) and the school by offering them a water tank;
To sensitize pepole at the grassroots level on the community work day (Umuganda), Saturday, May 27, 2009. Included in the dialogue on the welfare of the child, it is recommended to discuss on the nourishment of the child, family planning, sanitary etc.
Broadcatsts on radio and television which have started on June 10, 2009. In these radio and television broadcasts, topics like vaccination of children, HIV/AIDS testing of children, and the use of clean water will be discussed. At the district level, district and partners are recommended to provide activities that aim at supporting families in need and helping them.