Children’s rights are often an abstract topic deliberated over by lawyers and other scholars. However, the Dutch foundation KidsRights is showing the world that there is another way of approaching this issue: by putting children who help their peers in the spotlight. Out of 80 entries from all over the world, four were shortlisted for the 100,000-euro prize.
This year’s KidsRights International Children’s Peace Prize was awarded to 16-year-old Francia Simon by Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú in a ceremony in the Ridderzaal (Knight’s Hall) in The Hague.
Previous Children’s Peace Prize winners
2009: Baruani Ndume from Congo helps children in refugee camps in Tanzania who have lost their parents. Baruani set up a radio programme which reunites families.
2008: Mayra Avellar Neves of Brazil received the award for trying to stop the violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where she lives.
2007: Thandiwe Chama fights for children's rights in Zambia, especially the right to education.
2006: Om Prakash Gurjar from India won the prize for his efforts to end child labour.
2005: Nkosi Johnson, a South African boy who fought for the rights of children with HIV and AIDS. He was born HIV positive and died in 2001 at the age of 12. He was awarded the prize posthumously.
Francia wants all children to have the right to be registered, and to have a name and a nationality. Many children in the Dominican Republic, and in particular children who have fled neighbouring Haiti, do not have a birth certificate. Officially these children do not exist. As a result they cannot go to school, use health facilities and they have difficulty getting a job later in life.
Francia helps these children to become registered at an older age. Her own parents fled from Haiti, but she was born in the Dominican Republic. She only registered herself a year ago. In the meantime, she has helped 170 children get a birth certificate. This enables them to go to school.
And the three runners-up are...
Tatiana spreads the word
Fifteen-year-old Tatiana ('Tati') is actually a very shy American girl, who loves reading. She thinks it is terrible that some children have no access to books and therefore cannot enjoy reading. Since the age of 12, she has sent books to Africa to help set up libraries. She reads all the books before she sends them to make sure they are good quality and so that she knows what she is sending.
Tati has her own website.
Getahun tells adults his point of view
Getahun, who is 16, wants to protect children from harmful traditional practices in his home country Ethiopia. He tries to prevent child abuse, child labour and the forced marriage of young girls.
In Ethiopia, it is not easy to be heard as a child. Nevertheless, Getahun has found a way. He talks to the adults in his community during traditional coffee ceremonies. Normally children are not taken to these ceremonies, but Getahun is accompanied by his mother and gives his point of view.
Emmanuel turns chickens into bicycles
Emmanuel’s mother never had enough money to send him to school. The 14-year-old Rwandan started a project that would enable him to pay for school. Emmanuel’s grandfather gave him a hen once. Instead of eating it, he bred it and then eventually bred those chicks. When he had ten chickens, he sold them all and used the money to buy a bicycle. He rented the bike out to other children. Now he has bought another bicycle for his brother, who also rents it out.
In doing so Emmanuel hasn’t just helped his own family, he has also inspired other children and neighbours with his initiative.
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Greetings from SUPPORT , Hindupur.
Dear madam/sir,
SUB: Request for partnering with your esteemed organization for disabled and poor women’s economic and educational development in drought-hit Anantapur district – reg.
SUPPORT is a voluntary organization working for the development of poor and marginalized sections of society. It is established in the year 1993 by Smt.P.G.Sundari with an objective of promoting equal opportunities and rights for marginalized sections. SUPPORT is a member of International Forum for Child Welfare and the secretary has participated in Worldforum 2006 & 2008 held at Vancouver and U.K which was sponsored by CIDA.
The organization is working in Anantapur and Prakasam Districts of Andhra Pradesh with variety projects like Children Development in Fisher man villages, Disabled children education, Community based Healthcare program, Economic development through vocational training, self-help groups and enterprise development. Apart fro this SUPPORT aligned with other NGOs, government organizations, Industrialists, philanthropists to promote awareness on AIDS. Our humble efforts have yielded for better change in the lives of the target group empowering them in many ways, giving them identity and self
Anantapur District is a drought-affected, rain shadow area with erratic rainfall with erasing the common livelihood source of the people. The condition of the disabled persons is even more painful. In this regard as a concerned organization we wish to promote economic development of the disabled and women and education for disabled children in this area by availing your kind support and experienced advice.
We request you to kindly provide VIHICLES, an orphanage home sponsorship for 50 members per annum around 15lakh and an orphanage home building grant which cost around 20 lakhs and also old age home sponsorship for the poor which costs around 15lakh per annum for 50 inmates and also old age home building grant which cost 25 lakh. Disabled home sponsorship for 179 members costs around 25 lakh. 325, tri-cycle for schoolgoing children,700Wheel chairs , 579 Hearing Aids for deaf &dum children, 270 Braille equipment for visually children, Kindly support to our activities in this drought-hit area which will enable the needy people to lead a dignified life. We look forward for you Kind response.
PRAY FOR ROH
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
P G SUNDARI president.
Great! Hope they do best in life-for themselves and others.
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