African Children's Day at SOS Villages in Guinea-Bissau
This past Children's Fortnight featured a series of events and activities that included not only the children of the three villages but also the members of the Guinean National Children's Parliament.
June 1, the international day of the child celebrated in countries such as Portugal, Angola, Lebanon and Mozambique, kicked off the fortnight with an advocacy event between partners such as the Institute for Women and Children, UNICEF, CODEDIC, IOM and PAPEV. In the village of Bissau, the day began with a talk on children's rights and a cultural presentation by the children. On this day, the three villages were also presented with a generous donation from one of the largest telecommunications companies in the country, Orange.
During the following weeks, the villages continued with recreational and sporting activities involving the children, as well as interactive talks to inform them more about their rights and well-being.
The National Directorate took advantage of this day to advocate effectively with the government and the different partners on the need for more commitment from the authorities in the effective fulfillment of the child protection policy, through adequate justice and care for children and in the language of advocacy. "friend and protector of the child".
SOS Villages and its partners aimed to socialize the understanding of legal professionals in the provision of psychosocial and legal assistance to children and raise awareness of the challenges, equipping children with the necessary skills to advocate for their rights enshrined in national and international legal systems.