�50 Minutes for Children� drive gains momentum
Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday July 6, 2016 14:44
The UN agency says the campaign challenges the widely held narrative that children’s rights are a borrowed Western ideology aimed at giving children rights over their parents.
UNICEF Botswana head of external communications and advocacy, Tuduetso Kelapile said the initiative must not be viewed as a foreign concept, but as a continuum and revival of the Setswana notion of collectivism in child raising.
“All we ask for is the revival of that spirit of collectivism in the upbringing of our children. It takes a whole community to raise a child, so what the campaign is calling for in a nutshell is the revival of that spirit.
“The call for every individual, policy makers and companies to contribute to the upholding of children’s rights is aligned to our culture.
“A child belongs to every elderly member of the society and it’s our responsibility to guide and instill positive values. Let’s go back to the basics,” Kelapile said.
The “50 Minutes for Children” initiative, which is a partnership between UNICEF and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, was recently launched to sync with the country’s 50th Independence celebrations.
Under the campaign, lobbyists are challenging corporates to pledge P50,000 to activities aimed at promoting children’s rights and individuals to dedicate 50 minutes of their time during the campaign period to do something positive for children in celebration of the 50 years of independence
According to Kelapile, the campaign is gaining momentum with both individuals and corporate entities coming forward to pledge support.
Kelapile said thus far Debswana Mining Company, Mascom and Alpha Insurance had each pledged P50,000 towards community projects aimed at strengthening and upholding children. Further, Alpha Insurance employees had also set aside time to raise awareness on the matter. Musical group, Mahempe will also host a concert on a date to be announced and all proceeds will fund children’s rights initiatives, explained Kelapile.
At the launch of the campaign last month, assistant minister of local government and rural development, Botlogile Tshireletso said government was committed to protecting children’s rights and ensuring their welfare in accordance with the Children’s Act of 2009.”
She urged both civil society and the private sector to play a role in this initiative. The Children’s Act defines a child as anyone who is 18-years-old and below, which constitutes about 44 percent of the country’s population.
The campaign will run from June to November with the overarching objective being to stress the importance of putting children at the heart of the national agenda.