Today in SIERRA LEONE millions
of children do not have access to basic education. They will
grow up to join the more illiterate and uneducated adults around
the world unless changes are made.
 Some
of the most serious consequences of inequalities are:
-
Hunger and Malnutrition
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Lack of clean water and sanitation
-
The spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS
-
Compromised maternal/neonatal health
and high child mortality
-
Armed conflict and civil war
-
Million children are denied basic primary
education
-
Thousand children leave school before
finishing 5th grade
-
Million adults are illiterate
-
Million children are victims of exploiting
labor
-
Million children have been displaced
by war
Education is the only sustainable solution.
We believe in better future, we invest in education.
Investing in education brings positive & healthy returns:
A stronger foundation for tomorrow’s peace, more reliable
stability and security, greater social justice, better prospects
for prosperity.
The massive influx of children on the streets of Freetown is
nothing good to write home about as most of them are vulnerable
to all forms of discrimination and human rights abuses.
Example: Mariama Bangura who is visible on the streets of Freetown
begging with her blind father, she wants to be educated like
any other child but because of poverty her father cannot pay
her school fees and achieve her life long dreams.
Young boys living on the streets turn out to be criminals and
end up in prison. Young girls become professional prostitute
and can contact the deadly HIV/AIDS. The optional protocol of
the convection on the rights of the child reaffirmed the rights
of children and how special protection attention should be accorded
to them.
Conclusively street children are human beings and their rights
should be protected at all cost if these children are neglected
today they will turnout to be burden on society in future. Therefore
it is significant to protect their rights.
A lack of investment in education has led to a challenging and
daunting situation.
This will continue to grow if we do not take significant steps
to stop it today.
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