The children and young people participating in the SOS Children’s Village Natitingou took the opportunity of the Christmas holidays to convey strong messages that touched them to the governing authorities of the city of Natitingou. The esplanade of the Town Hall served as the setting for this small advocacy ceremony.
Indeed, on Saturday, December 23, 2023, Beninese Children’s Day, the young participants in our programs, through their representatives from the Children and Youth Executive Councils (CEE/CEJ), made an appointment with the municipal authorities of the commune of Natitingou. They aimed to share with them concerns that are close to their hearts and that undermine the full development and enjoyment of children’s rights in the commune of Natitingou and its surroundings.
For a popularization of the texts…
One by one, the participants presented three pleas to the representative of the first municipal authority. The first plea, read by a participant, and member of the National Association of Executive Councils of Children of Benin (ANACEB), focused on the lack of popularization of texts and laws relating to children’s rights in the municipality. In his speech, Simon advocated for a wide popularization of these texts, without forgetting also the “”simplification of documents such as the Children’s Code, the National Child Protection Policy, to make them easy to read and understand,”” he said.
No to child labor and exploitation!
Following Simon, Azimatou, also a member of ANACEB, presented on behalf of the children of the commune the grim picture of child labor in mines and quarries in the commune of Natitingou and its surroundings. “”Mr. Mayor, this must stop, so that we have zero children in the mines and quarries,”” said Azimatou. She finally invited the authorities to visit these mines and quarries to see firsthand the sad reality of child labor. To close the series of pleas, another children’s representative informed the Mayor’s representative of the phenomenon of sexual harassment of girls, underage pregnancies, etc.
The Mayor’s representative, in her words of thanks, reassured the children and young people that their message had not fallen on deaf ears. She told them that, as the Mayor’s representative, who was unable to attend, she was the person responsible for social affairs at the Town Hall. She therefore promised not only to provide a faithful report to the highest authority, but also to make herself available to work with the children and young people so that appropriate solutions could be found to improve the conditions of the children and young people in the municipality in general.
This children’s advocacy ceremony was also an opportunity for the SOS Natitingou Children’s Village to solemnly present materials to around ten family strengthening participants, who have reached the end of their apprenticeships in various professions, a way of supporting them in their independence.
