Story: International day of the african child 2024

International Day of the African Child 2024

 

Today, we mark the International Day of the African Child. This year’s theme, Education for All Children in Africa, matches Children in Crossfire’s goal of ensuring the most vulnerable children in Ethiopia and Tanzania can access early years’ education.

Recently, our colleague Fariji Paragha, who works in the Dodoma region of Tanzania, updated us on our programme there. Faraji started by telling us just how deeply education is valued:

“Community members have little income and believe that education is the weapon to fight against poverty. Children carry the hopes of their parents to change their lives after being successful in their education.”

He went on to detail how Children in Crossfire are already transforming how young children are being educated:

  • Introducing school feeding programmes so that pupils don’t go hungry.
  • Working with parents and grandparents to get children into school every day.
  • Transforming classrooms and building new ones – no more learning under trees.
  • Training teachers to help them deliver high-quality education.
  • Providing essential learning materials.
  • Improving safeguarding practices to keep children safe from harm.

 

Faraji then told us there is so much more to do. He spelled out that too many children across Dodoma still don’t attend school and that illiteracy levels remain high. Thanks to Children in Crossfire’s supporters, we will ensure he and his colleagues have the resources they need to ensure tens of thousands of children grow up healthy, well-educated and able to fulfil their potential.

 

Finally, Faraji mentioned something that struck a deep chord. Songambele Primary School is extremely remote – to get to it, he has to drive more than 20kms along a dirt track. For us, that captured something special about Children in Crossfire. We go to great lengths to support those in greatest need, who may otherwise be overlooked or left out. We live out the ideal that every child matters and that every child in Africa should receive the best possible education.