Press Release
Monrovia, June 16, 2023 – On this day of the African Child, under the theme “The Rights of the Child in the digital environment”. SOS Children’s Villages calls on the government and stakeholders to strengthen support for more access to the digital world and enhance systems to provide a more protective environment to young people.
“On this Day of the African Child – and every day, we must do all we can to address the Rights of the child in the digital media and strengthen efforts to invest and protect them in these environments” said Prosper Ndione, SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia National Director.
Every year, thousands of children going to school have very limited exposure to the digital media due to lack of digital infrastructure, poverty and location.
“These challenges reinforce the need for government and partners to strengthen educational institutions with the relevant ITC Infrastructures to enhance access to quality digital education for all children.” Mr. Ndione added.
SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia is engaged in addressing the basic needs of children in respect to digital access over the years. We have provided digital education through our educational facilities and youth empowerment programs as well as ‘Digital Village’ concepts in our direct care programmes. Our family strengthening programmes which aims to strengthen families who are under pressure so they can stay together play major role in supporting at-risk children in schools with some access to digital education.
About SOS Children’s Villages
SOS Children‘s Villages is an international childcare and child protection organization whose vision is a world where “Every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect, and security. SOS Children’s Villages is active in 138 countries and territories, advocating, supporting children, and strengthening families. By 2030, the SOS Children’s Villages Federation aims to ensure that many more children succeed in life and to lead the world’s largest child-care movement.
SOS Children’s Villages started operations in Liberia in 1981. Since then, SOS Children’s Villages has been active in the area of child safeguarding, youth empowerment, family strengthening, health, education, community development, advocacy, and partnerships for quality care. Currently, SOS Children’s Villages is active in two counties in Liberia – Grand Bass and Montserrado. SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia core programmes are:
About Day of African Child
The Day of African Child commemorates the 1976 march in Soweto, South Africa when thousands of African school children took to the street to protest for their rights. Hundreds of young people were killed and within two weeks of the protest, more than a thousand were injured. To honor the memory of those killed and the courage of all those who marched, the Day of the African Child (DAC) has been celebrated on June 16, every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of the African Unity. The Day is a day of advocacy and to shine the spotlight on the plight of children.
For more information, please contact:
Joseph JB Joboe, Communications & Brand Coordinator, SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia, +231776427209 – joseph.joboe@sosliberia.org