World Children’s Day: HH Addresses Delegation

Fellow citizens,

Today we participated in the commemoration of the World Children's Day, under the theme "A Better Future For Every Child".

On hand to witness this important Day, were Their Excellencies President Dr. Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of the Republic of Zimbabwe, President Dr. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi of the Republic of Botswana, Mr. Nangolo Mumba, Vice President of the Republic of Namibia and the UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Mr. Mohamed Malick Fall.

The World's Children's Day is a day marked as a Global Day of Action for Children, by children. It is not only a special day for our children, but is also a testimony that our four countries; Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia have one common agenda, to uplift the rights of our children, and to advocate for the enhancement of the development and welfare of every child.

While we agreed with my colleagues to address critical issues affecting our children, we also recognised that children themselves should be allowed to be active advocates of their own rights, because adolescents and young people are the fastest growing demographic in the population of countries in Southern Africa.

In our address, we recognised and fully appreciated the importance of technology and school subjects such as Mathematics and Science in the early curriculum of our children, but we emphasised that entrepreneurship and financial literacy must be included as critical tools for learners, and that Mathematics and English should not be used as an only barometer to measure the intelligence of our children.

To that effect we encouraged school authorities to devise curriculums that encouraged talents such as Art, Music and many others to those learners that were gifted in those particular areas. We should never limit the possibilities of our children.

Hakainde Hichilema,

President of the Republic of Zambia.