Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs has said that Government is working on establishing a Children’s Commission.

Moijue Kaikai made the disclosure on the telephone line from Freetown during a brief interview on programmes lined up for this year’s International Day of the African Child.

The Minister said if established, the Commission will act as the central authority in all child-related issues, including protection, promotion and development, adding that, the children will also be represented in the Commission.

“President Koroma is very much concerned about the promotion of laws and policies that are very much child friendly,” Kaikai pointed out.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone is joining other African countries to observe the International Day of the African Child. June 16, has been celebrated every year by Member States of the African Union (AU), and its Partners since 1991.

Thirty seven years ago, the police in the then apartheid regime of South Africa opened fire on thousands of South African school children as they marched on a street in Soweto to protest the poor quality of their education.

Soweto protesters

Moijue who is in charge of Children’s Affairs in the country says every child has “a right to an appropriate education”.

“It is often said that a country’s best resource is its people; if this is so, there is no better way of enhancing our future development than to invest heavily in the education of our children. Every child has the potential to learn and live a fulfilled life and so it is our responsibility as leaders, parents, teachers and members of various communities to facilitate learning opportunities for the children of our beloved country,” Kaikai said on the telephone this morning.

The Minister also said that series of activities have been lined up for the event, noting that radio programmes have already started in the various radio stations. This year’s theme is “Eliminating Harmful Social and Cultural Practices Affecting Children: Our Collective Responsibility”.

He went on to explain that the general objective of the celebration of the Day, is to call attention to the harmful social and cultural practices against children and highlight the roles and responsibilities of state parties of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in order to combat and eliminate harmful practices against children in Africa.