Take action on Day of African Child to support Nigeria girls and safe schools

Chibok girls, Day of the African Child, Safe schools

15 May 2014

The Day of the African Child will be marked this year by a series of events featuring young people around the world in support of the kidnapped Nigerian girls and efforts to make schools safer.

Thousands of people in more than 100 countries will mobilise on June 16 to host events and encourage their communities to back the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and the right of every child to go to school.

This day of action will kick off a series of activities leading up to the launch of the 500-Day Countdown Campaign on August 19 – a drive to ensure that by the end of 2015 as many children as possible are in school and learning.

And you, your school, your faith group or fellow youth activists can be part of the global education movement by hosting an event in honour of the Day of the African Child and in support of the missing girls from Chibok and safe schools for every boy and girl.

You can sign up today to be part of this call for youth action around the world.

We have everything you need to help you put on an event and mobilise your own community. You may want to organise a march or rally, talk to decision-makers, hold a fundraiser for the Safe Schools Initiative in Nigeria – or even have a “youth takeover” of your congress or parliament.

Our toolbox has all the information you need about the Day of the African Child and our campaign to #BringBackOurGirls and get every child into school.

Go to the special A World at School page to register an event, download the action tools you need to set up your event and then join the online conversation by using our Facebook and Twitter pages to tell others about it.

There’s also a map showing events being planned around the world. So if you’re not organising one, you can attend one near you.

A flagship “Youth Takeover” event will be held at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A Youth Assembly will be held with young leaders delivering calls for action to African leaders. Later in the day everyone will participate in a Youth Run – a community race through the city, symbolising the fact that we are running out of time to get every child into school and learning.

And 500 A World At School Global Youth Ambassadors have been activated, as well as members of the Youth Advocacy Group of the Global Education First Initiative.

Gordon Brown, United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, said: “The Day of the African Child on June 16 will be dedicated to supporting the Chibok girls and to ensure that all children are safe when they are at school.”