Children’s Day 2019 is around the corner, and the children’s excitement levels to celebrate ‘their day’ are sky high. Children’s Day in India is observed on November 14 annually, which will fall on Thursday this year. Children’s Day, also fondly called as ‘Bal Divas’ or ‘Bal Diwas’ in parts of the country, is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, which is why the day is also celebrated as ‘Nehru Jayanti’.

Costume Ideas For Kids Participating in Bal Divas Functions In School. 

Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.” He believed that children were the architect of the country, and hence, stressed much on their education and welfare. Greta Thunberg Quotes That Will Make You Take a Hard Look At Climate Change and The State of Planet Earth!

It is well-known that children are the building blocks of our society. As Children’s Day 2019 nears, we at LatestLY, bring you a list of kids who are making a change in the world. Here’s a look at those kids who have been inspiring people around the world with their courage, passion, and determination.

1. Greta Thunberg, Sweden, Activist on Climate Change

 

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School strike week 63. Los Angeles. #climatestrike #schoolstrike4climate #fridaysforfuture

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Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old child activist on environmental change. Hailing from Sweden, Greta has gained international recognition for her activism on action against Global Warming. She first came into the limelight last year, when she started ‘School Strike for Climate’ movement outside Sweden parliament. In the same year, she addressed the UN Climate Change Conference and impressed everyone with her blunt, straightforward manner of speech. 10 Things Schools Owe Our Future Generation. 

2. Licypriya Kangujam, India, Environmental Activist

Licypriya Kangujam is a student and environmental activist who hails from Manipur, India. The 8-year-old was chosen as one of the child activists in UN Development Programme – ‘Young People and Climate Fighting for a Stolen Future’. Last month she organised a march in Delhi, where thousands thronged to streets to combat climate change. Licypriya has won ‘World Children’s Peace Prize 2019’, ‘India Peace Prize 2019’, and ‘APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award 2019’.

3. Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Indonesia, Action against Plastic Bags Waste

Two sisters, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, aged 10 and 12 respectively, decided to get their home country Indonesia rid of plastic bags waste. It is a known fact that Indonesia is only second to China when it comes to marine plastic waste. Six years back, the two young sisters learnt a few lessons about significant people – Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. – in their school and decided to do something, and not wait until they become adults to make a difference. The duo is 16 and 18 currently, and their campaign ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ is now popular in more than 25 countries and not just limited to Indonesia.

4. Anoyara Khatun, India, Child’s Rights Activist

Anoyara Khatun, then a 12-year-old, was child trafficked to Delhi where she worked as a maid. When she returned to her village in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, she was shocked to see matters being worse, when it came to child’s rights. Child labour, child marriages, and child trafficking were some of the terrible things that had plagued the situation. It was then when she decided to take the matter into her hands. Now 21, she has prevented over 40 child marriages, rescued over 250 children from child labour, and registered over 250 drop-out students back to school.

5. Payal Jangid, India, Fight against Child Marriage

The then 11-year-old Payal Jangid was forced to marry at a young age, but her voice against child marriage prevented her wedding. Payal, who hails from Hinsla village in Rajasthan, then decided to make efforts towards abolishing the practice of child marriage. Six years later and after an exemplary amount of activism, Payal has stopped innumerable child marriages in and around her village. Recently, Payal became the first Indian to be awarded the ‘Changemaker Award’ by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in September.

Children’s Day festivities serve as a reminder of how children form an integral part of the society and how their contribution (in any form) helps make the world a better place. There are thousands of child activists across the globe who are doing their bit and contributing to a social cause. As the occasion of Children’s Day nears, we at LatestLY, wish you and your family a very ‘Happy Children’s Day 2019!’

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 09, 2019 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).