Teen Reporters: This One’s for the Children
In honor of Universal Children’s Day, UNICEF called on young minds to assume key roles in media, politics and other sectors. While the main activities were held in mid-November, everyday is a special day for children. Tonight, a second feature by Informed Teen Reporters looks at the celebration of Universal Children’s Day and what it means for children in Belize. Krya Lambey reports.
Kyra Lambey, Reporting
The United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established back in 1954 to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. November 20th is an important date it because was the date when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and later in 1989 the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every year on November twentieth, children in Belize and all over the world celebrate Universal Children’s Day. This year it was celebrated under the theme “Children of today, our keepers of tomorrow.” So, how do we actually celebrate Children Day in Belize?”
Abbie Godoy, Informed Teen Reporter
“So Christopher we know you guys celebrated Children’s day on November 17th, what does children’s day mean to you?”
Christopher Young
Christopher Young, 12-year-old Student, Horizon Academy
“Children’s day to me means a day like celebrating children, well celebrate everyone because your still God’s children and overall your still children, and my mom’s thirty-six and she’s still considered a child. I’m still a child even though I’m twelve and in standard six and I’m about to go to high school. To me children’s day is just a day to celebrate everyone and appreciate everything you have as a child. Even if you’re older, remember what you had as a child and what you still have today.”
Alexander Usher, 9-year-old Student, Horizon Academy
“Children’s day to me means a celebration for children.”
Abbie Godoy
“Alex, what do you think adults should know about children?”
Alexander Usher
Alexander Usher
“That if an adult yells at children it will hurt them emotionally.”
Mothers, fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious, community elders, and media professionals as well as young people and children themselves can play an important part in making Universal Children’s Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations not only on November twentieth, but every day of a child’s life. After all, “It takes a village to raise a Child.”
Abbie Godoy
“Every year Universal Children is celebrated in November, Can you tell us why it is important for school to celebrated this?”
Diane Mejia
Diane Mejia, Principal of Horizon Academy
“I think schools should celebrate children’s day because primary school children are your clients. As a school I think it’s also important to realize that you work with children day in day out so children’s day really is more than a day it’s something that you need to hold as kind of like your mantra, you should be child-centered and your learning activities throughout the year should be focused on your children and doing whatever you can to encourage their holistic development so it’s important to yes, acknowledge the day but not just let children’s day be the only day you’re going to have a half day or a casual day or a movie or something fun. I think it has supposed to be all year round.”
Kendice Armstrong, Informed Teen Reporter
“What does children’s day mean to you?”
Student, St. Luke’s Methodist Primary School
“Children’s day means to me that we can celebrate the children of Belize And it means that we can be celebrated in the most fantastic way to show others that we are really appreciated.”
Kendice Armstrong
“What activities did your school have planned for children’s day?”
Mikylah Richards
Mikylah Richards, Student, St. Luke’s Methodist Primary School
“Well we had a lot of activities planned for day. First we the greeting whereby we walked into the gate and we were given a token which was a candy and then they greeted us and told us happy children’s day, and later on that Monday we had the releasing of the balloons whereby they wrote quotes on the balloons such as happy children’s day, we are children of Belize and we are the future of Belize. And then after that on the Tuesday we had more things planned for the other days.”
Kendice Armstrong
“How do you teach children at this school about their rights?”
Carol Martin
Carol Martin, Teacher, St. Luke’s Methodist School
“Well that’s a part of the curriculum; its imbedded in the curriculum so we have learning outcomes that we have to teach that brings out the children’s rights, and it’s usually under the theme “Rights and Responsibilities.” Last week we had a week of activities for children’s day under the theme “Children of today, or keepers of tomorrow”, and through those activities as well the children were able to show that they have rights and because of the activities they were involved in they were able express themselves and be one with others.”
Universal Children’s Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point for us to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children in Belize. Reporting for NCFC and News Five, I am Informed Teen Reporter: Kyra Lambey.
