International Day of the African Child was set aside to raise awareness of the importance of education for children in Africa. The day not only honours the participants of the Soweto Uprising in 1976 but also raises awareness of the imperative need for improvement of the education of African children. International Day of the African Child is celebrated on the 16th of June every year to highlight the economic strifes suffered by these children and the adverse effects it has on their right to good education in the country.

On June 16th, 1976, thousands of black students from Soweto, South Africa, took to the streets to protest the disparity in the education system that preferred quality education for the whites over the black population in Africa. Today, millions of children in Africa dint receive proper education and the onus just doesn't fall on the world leaders but on every privileged member of the society to acknowledge that they deserve a quality education to eradicate poverty in the country. On This Day, let us share inspiring quotes to highlight the need for educating every African child.

  • To every child – I dream of a world where you can laugh, dance, sing, learn, live in peace and be happy - Malala Yousafzai

  • It’s not a nice-to-have – it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating child care as a side issue, or a women’s issue and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us - Barack Obama

  • I was one of those children forced into fighting at the age of 13, in my country Sierra Leone, a war that claimed the lives of my mother, father and two brothers. I know too well the emotional, psychological and physical burden that comes with being exposed to violence as a child or at any age for that matter -Ishmael Beah

  • The impact of armed conflict on children is everyone’s responsibility. And it must be everyone’s concern - Graca Machel

  • Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies - Kofi Anan

Folks worldwide celebrate this day by highlighting awareness about the education system in Africa by sharing their views via social media using the hashtag #educationforAfrica, #InternationalDayOfTheAfricanChild.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2021 12:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).