Children’s Day: UNICEF, Fifth Chukker Hosts 150 Children

Children’s Day: UNICEF, Fifth Chukker Hosts 150 Children

By ALEX UANGBAOJE

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ‎on Friday hosted one hundred (100) vulnerable and fifty (50) privileged children to a funfair to commemorate the global children’s day in Kaduna.

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The children were selected from two public schools which UNICEF has been supporting for some years now, and five privately owned schools which are also benefiting from UNICEF, Fifth Chukker polo and  Country Club and Access Bank.

UNICEF had revealed in a press statement titled “It’s time to take action – renewing efforts to end violence against children‎”‎ that More than 1.2 million children have been displaced in the North-eastern part of Nigeria and that more than half of them are below the age of five years.

‎The funfair which took place at the Fifth Chukker Polo Club saw the children engaged in different types of sporting activities. Some of the games the children enjoyed include, Polo, Horse riding, Trekking and other recreational activities.

Expressing his joy, ‎Abdulrasheed Lawal a student of Mararaba Jos Primary School, said this year’s Children’s Day is his best day ever. Lawal an orphan ‎thanked the organisers, saying “they have me feel like I am not an orphan.

Also, a primary four pupil of the same school, Halima Mohammed said, “I am very happy for what they have been doing for us, and I pray that God will continue to bless them.

‎Nadya-Ruth FROESCH, Public Relations Officer, Fifth Chukker, said  the idea for organising the event is to bring the children together in order for them to have fun and enjoy themselves and to create awareness on the plight of vulnerable children.

She explained that apart from the children funfair, there is also the Access Bank-UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament which will mark the first stage in the series of competition in Europe.

According to her “The 2016 ‎Access Bank-UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament which marks the first stage in the series that will climax in Europe with Access Bank Charity Shield Day at the prestigious Guard Polo Club in London in July is designed to raise more awareness on the plight of vulnerable children and orphans especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scattered across Northern Nigeria.‎

“Five schools which can be classified as privileged were invited to join children from LGEA Primary School and Hawco International School,  both of which are classified as underprivileged and are being supported by UNICEF.  The schools invited are Essence International School,  Kaduna International School, French International School, Alamana Academy and Rare Gem Girls’ Boarding School.”‎


‎Addressing newsmen, Rabiu Musa, Media and External Relations Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, ‎said what UNICEF is doing as an organisation is to ensure that stakeholders realises the importance of the day as a standout day of reflection and to plan for children and work through to see that children understands the importance of the day and are happy about it.

According to him, “Stakeholders are contributing to make the day lively, it is an event where children have a voice‎. This is where UNICEF is coming, children’s participation in matters that concerns them.

‎”Their being here is a kind of face lift and it is an effort to give them opportunity as a matter of their right to play, right to participation and to ensure that they have chance to interact with children from other background.”

‎On her part, Barr. (Mrs) Ranti Daudu, Founder, All Children Charity International Foundation (ACCIF), Lament the rate at which children’s rights are been abused by the society.

‎She attributes violation of children’s right to cultural practices, saying “children are not allowed to talk when elder are talking, so there are times that a child is violated seriously but the child cannot say anything because that fear of respecting elders is there, is a good thing culturally but is part of extension of violence.

‎”Even religion have also been used over time to keep the child quiet, so people now capitalised on all these religious and cultural beliefs to perpetually keep the child silent while they are being violated.”

She noted that if care is not taken child rights violation will become a national shame because everyone in the country is not doing enough to stand for the children and protect them, adding that “unless we all agree that there is something totally wrong with our society and take action it will become National shame.”‎‎

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