Child right: Education is not enough, learning a skill is not enough - James Boyon

BY: Manoah Kikekon 

Members of African movement of working children and youths at three days seminar in Badagry, Lagos Statr Nigeria.

James Suru Boyon, the support structure for the African movement of working children and youths, from Senegal, has said education is not enough, learning a skill is not enough, there is a need to combine both, and to achieve this, a child must belong to a community.

Mr. James disclosed this at a three-day child’s rights advocacy programme that started on Tuesday at Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria. Where members are trained on how to identify vulnerable children, know their challenges, identify probable solutions, and know how to implement them.

Speaking with our correspondent, James said, "The goal of the organisation is to make sure that children are working in a safe and healthy environment, ensuring that every child grows in a good condition and their rights are protected, where they will be able to build a harmonious community where children will find their place to grow.

"This is a child-led organisation, the adult organisation serves as a support structure to help implement what the children have put in place, like action plans and projects," he said.

"We are here to implement and reinforce the initiative ignited by the few working children and youths. Aimed at identifying their peers and their challenges, identifying probable solutions, and how to implement them with the help of community members, authorities, or private individuals who are ready to contribute to child rights advocacy."

The organisation, which is now in 28 countries in Africa, "has achieved a lot in the past 29 years of its existence by pooling resources together for child advocacy." Mr. James said that he is a product of the organisation that motivated him to pursue his dreams.

"There is no government in the world that can take care of a child to make them achieve their dreams. The family does not come from the government, but the government comes from the family; that is why the organisation works with the family to have a good government and secure the future of the unborn generation.

"There is no capacity that is useless; that of a child can bypass that of an adult in a given community," he added.

AKonasu Gbedozin, the national secretary of AWCY, said, "The organisation has carried out child advocacy, community engagement, and various empowerment programmes. Which includes the CORAL project for the protection of migrant children along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor with over 500 beneficiaries."

He added, "It is difficult to stop an African child from supporting the parent, but we enlighten parents on what the children are expected to do in order not to violate the child's rights."

Olusola Tunmise, 17-year-old national delegate who will represent the organisation in Nirobi, Kenya, in an international programme, said, "I feel good helping vulnerable children, and this has helped me see beyond my community."

Awesu Halilu, the National Communications Officer, said, "We have been able to identify working child communities within the nation and successfully return children on the move along different African countries to their home countries."

He encouraged children to join associations that would fight for their rights.