MEDIA RELEASE
AWOL CELEBRATES DAY OF AFRICAN CHILD 2017 WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE NORTH & SOUTH OF SIERRA LEONE
‘Our Children, Our Hope’
AWOL is working with the 5th Infant Brigade at Gondama to a construct a befitting
school for school children that will replace the current one in this photo
Gondama: because of the deplorable condition of the current school building,
pupils most times take classes under a large tree
Freetown, Sierra Leone I Friday, June 16th 2017
The Day of the African Child (DAC) is celebrated every year on the African Continent and around the world since 1991 when it was initiated by the Organization of African Unity- OAU (now African Union – AU).
The OAU dedicated June 16 to the honour of the brave actions of young people during the 1976 Soweto uprising, when over 1000 of Black school children took to the streets under the South African apartheid regime to protest against the inferior type of education they were receiving; and also wanted to be taught in their native language. This resulted in more than 700 of them being murdered as the protest continued for weeks. It’s a day which was perhaps amongst one of the darkest days in the history of the African continent.
In honour of those fallen angels, DAC is a day to fight for the cause of children in trouble: Ebola orphans, AIDS orphans, the disabled, street children and impoverished children who will inherit the continent. A day to remind the African Community, political leaders and organisations to efficiently address issues of child trafficking, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, child labour and protect the rights and dignity of children. The theme selected by the African Committee for the celebration of the Day of the African Child 2017 is: “Accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities for children in Africa by 2030”.
In homage to the day and in recognition of the importance of education to the overall development of children for the future of Sierra Leone, AWOL is celebrating the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2017 with school children in the North and South of the country with the theme: ‘Our Children, Our Hope’.
In simultaneous events, AWOL will provide food, refreshment, entertainment and scholarships that will cover fees, uniforms and learning materials to selected primary school pupils in Marampa, Port Loko District, in the North and Gondama, Bo District, in the South. Our school feeding and awards program for this year is targeting 1000 school children in each of the two regions and providing scholarships for 150 pupils in Gondama and 150 in Marampa.
In Gondama, AWOL will also recommence work on the completion of its Gondama school project which will be named after the organisation’s late godfather, Amb. Moseray Gibril Fadika.
AWOL Chairman, Amb. Anthony Navo Jnr. says in Freetown that he hopes the programme will inspire school pupils to work hard and aspire for higher heights.
“The value of education to the development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. We hope that even our presence as AWOL members will inspire the children to work hard and focus on their education,” says Amb. Navo Jnr.
AWOL introduced the school feeding and awards program in 2007 and has since been an important annual event in its calendar of activities. Over the years we have reached out to school children in many deprived communities across Sierra Leone, including Kroo Bay and Mabella in Freetown.
AWOL joins other organizations as we celebrate the uniqueness and achievements of Sierra Leonean children and affirm our faith in the possibilities of their future; and the future of our country as a whole.
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About AWOL
AWOL is a not-for-profit and apolitical development organization complementing efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners in nation building. AWOL comprises of Sierra Leoneans from various vocations of life such as entrepreneurs, lawyers, media practitioners, bankers, lecturers, teachers, engineers, doctors, etc. who share a common aspiration to genuinely give back to society and contribute to the cause of nation building.
-Ahmed Sahid Nasralla
AWOL Secretariat
June 2017
