Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Tanzania aimed to empower African youth by organizing a celebration at Buguruni Deaf Primary School for International Day of the African Child. The holiday is commemorated each year on June 16th since 1991 when it was initiated by the Organization of African Unity to honor African school children who protested poor education quality in South Africa in the Soweto Uprising of 1976.
Buguruni Viziwi Primary School was founded in 1974 to assist deaf, blind, and mute children in receiving essential education and life skills. The school currently serves more than 200 students; all of whom participated in the day’s festivities. The theme of the celebration, “Enhance protection and equal opportunities for children,” surrounded the activities which included speeches, an award reception for students with high academic achievements, and performances by the school children.
The students performed a song that described the need to enhance infrastructure and systems that would protect and support child rights, especially vulnerable groups like their own community that are often left out of communication in society.
While this event highlighted the condition of some of Tanzania’s most vulnerable populations, it called on education systems across Africa to address the need to improve the quality of education for children across the continent.
Learn more about our peacebuilding programs in Tanzania.