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Herald Reporter
Speaker of the Junior Parliament Valeria Matanhire has commended the exposure they got from their participation in this year’s World Children’s Day at a summit in Walvis Bay, Namibia.
The annual summit is a moment for children and their country leaders to discuss solutions to accelerate action to protect and fulfil the rights of every child.
“It is quite an exposure which benefits us immensely as it gets us to interact with other children from other countries and share experiences,” said Matanhire.
“Such platforms also bring us hope that our needs will be addressed and prioritised as we get to interact with Government leaders. We are happy that national leaders took time to hear our concerns and they also counselled us on a number of issues.
“We are also happy with the freedom of interaction, socialisation and inclusion of children with disabilities,” said Matanhire.
The leaders committed to address underlying inequalities and gender disparities that prevent girls and children with disabilities from reaching their full potential, it also recognised children as essential actors in responding to the climate crisis.
Children presented a call to action, specifically calling on their leaders to: improve the quality of education to meet the needs of today’s rapidly evolving world; ensure that children grow up and learn in an environment where they are protected from physical and emotional violence. They also called for action to help them develop socio-emotional skills to deal effectively with the challenges of everyday life.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter