Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs Holds Inaugural Coordination Meeting for Day of the African Child.

The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, through its Children’s Directorate, on Friday convened its first coordination meeting ahead of the 2025 commemoration of the Day of the African Child. The meeting, held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Freetown, brought together key partners to discuss the planning and execution of activities under the theme: “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights – Progress Made Since 2010.”

Assistant Director of the Children’s Directorate, Mr. Daniel Albert Gbow, led the session and emphasised the significance of this year’s theme, highlighting the need for increased advocacy and resource mobilisation to advance child rights across Sierra Leone. “We need resources from government and partners to foster our development initiatives for children,” he urged, while underscoring the importance of collaboration among government agencies and civil society in protecting and promoting children’s rights.

Gbow shared the event’s concept note and outlined planned activities, including a capacity-building training session for children on leadership roles scheduled for June 15, as well as a panel discussion on progress tracking, radio jingles, community engagement, and media advocacy. He also highlighted persistent challenges, including limited child participation in decision-making, poor financial records, and insufficient budgetary provisions specifically targeting child-focused programming.

Participants included representatives from World Vision, Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL), the Community of Practice (CoP), the National Commission for Children (NCC), World Hope International, and the Children’s Forum Network (CFN). Each partner provided valuable input on enhancing the relevance and inclusivity of the upcoming celebration.

Arieta Kamara from the Community of Practice proposed strategic engagement with Parliamentarians and traditional leaders to use the Day of the African Child as a platform to advocate for the passing of the Child Rights Act (CRA) Amendment Bill. She emphasised the importance of collaborative advocacy to ensure the legislation reflects the evolving needs of Sierra Leonean children.

Fatmata Letitia Kamara of World Hope International recommended adopting a localised theme in local dialects to promote grassroots engagement and cultural relevance in nationwide celebrations.

In her opening statement, CFN Freetown President, Philipa Cride-Dole, stressed the need for sustainable financing mechanisms for child welfare, suggesting that a Parliamentary Act could facilitate a consistent allocation of funds for children’s programs. She reiterated CFN’s commitment to using the celebration as a strategic opportunity to push for the passage of the CRA Bill.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on next steps, including the development of an implementation roadmap and the scheduling of follow-up meetings to ensure effective coordination and participation.

Kelvin Mark Kargbo

SLENA Correspondent

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