It is the responsibility of the government and society to ensure that the protection and care of children are appropriate for their wellbeing.

These are the remarks of Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso delivered at the commemoration of the Day of the African Child hosted at Libibing in Mokhotlong on Monday.

Her Majesty said the protection and proper care of children will allow children to become responsible citizens of the country.

She added that the Lesotho government has implemented numerous frameworks intended to ensure the rights of children are promoted.

Since this commemoration culminated in the official launch of the ‘Positive Parenting’ booklet by Her Majesty, she commended those who contributed to its compilation and advised parents and children to read it as it is meant to guide them on issues related to good parenting for both children and parents in a family setting.

The booklet has been written in the Sesotho language to make it easy for every Mosotho to read and understand.

On that note, she appealed to children to be respectful and focus on their education while parents are doing their role of good parenting.

Her Majesty also applauded the District Child Protection Teams (DCPTs) countrywide for the tireless work they do to educate societies about children’s rights and addressing challenges facing children so that care and protection are enhanced.

She commended Lesotho’s development partners including UNICEF and World Vision for providing support when the need arises to ensure the rights of children are taken into consideration.

Speaking at the same event, the acting Minister of Social Development, Mr. Keketso Sello said the government is working tirelessly to ensure that harmful practices that affect the wellbeing of children are eliminated for the promotion of children’s rights.

He said notable strides in the promotion of children’s rights have been made, citing enactment of laws that talk about the protection of children’s rights, provision of child grants, bursaries and the launch of child helpline number ‘116’ which is intended to be used for reporting challenges facing children so that they can also be counselled accordingly.

Mr. Sello urged children to respect their parents and have a love for the country for socio-economic development.

Also addressing the public at the event was the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Motlalentoa Letsosa who sensitised the public about the importance of registering children to get birth certificates.

He also talked about human trafficking, saying Basotho should avoid such acts as they are harmful and they derive victims off their rights.

At the same event, civic registration services were also provided to those who needed them.

Moreover the World Vision Lesotho Programme Manager Northern Region of the country, Mrs. Mankuebe Nkuebe said the organisation is implementing numerous programmes that focus on the well-being and protection of children in Mokhotlong and the country at large.

She said children should concentrate on their education and ensure they complete their studies to become responsible citizens resourceful to the country in future.

She advised children to pray continuously and seek God’s wisdom in everything they do.

Children narrated poems and made brief speeches appealing to parents to listen to them when they speak out their views and not to force them into early marriages or child labour because those acts are against their rights as children.

This year’s Day of the African Child was commemorated with the theme: Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practices since 2013′.

The day is usually marked on June 16 annually to honour African youth who died during a protest in Soweto, South Africa against their right to education in 1976.

Source: LENA 27/06/2022