In defence of the ‘little people’
Highlighting the problems and solutions of children’s rights.
ISLAMABAD:
A conference focusing on community-based empowerment of vulnerable children will begin from November 22. It is being organised by Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), a non-government organisation.
In a press conference on Thusday, HHRD Country Director Fazlur Rehman said the conference will be attended by national and international experts including scholars, professors and civil society representatives from Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Participants would also share their ideas, paper presentations and brainstorming sessions for minimising vulnerability and beefing up the protection afforded to children.
Expressing concern over established initiatives for child protection in the country Rahman stated that “there is a need to focus more on this area and improve it” for the country’s successful future. He added that illiteracy and a lack of adequate education facilities posed a serious threat to these children and their future which looks bleaker still in light of an estimated 25 million of the nation’s children being education-deprived. Despite the 18th amendment clearly emphasising the importance of free education to children between the ages of five and sixteen, the rate of admission in secondary schools is currently 23% nationwide, he said.
“Unfortunately the Government is not creating any schedule to help those children. Provinces [under whose guardianship children have been placed] have completely failed to show any infrastructure regarding this serious issue,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.
A conference focusing on community-based empowerment of vulnerable children will begin from November 22. It is being organised by Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), a non-government organisation.
In a press conference on Thusday, HHRD Country Director Fazlur Rehman said the conference will be attended by national and international experts including scholars, professors and civil society representatives from Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Participants would also share their ideas, paper presentations and brainstorming sessions for minimising vulnerability and beefing up the protection afforded to children.
Expressing concern over established initiatives for child protection in the country Rahman stated that “there is a need to focus more on this area and improve it” for the country’s successful future. He added that illiteracy and a lack of adequate education facilities posed a serious threat to these children and their future which looks bleaker still in light of an estimated 25 million of the nation’s children being education-deprived. Despite the 18th amendment clearly emphasising the importance of free education to children between the ages of five and sixteen, the rate of admission in secondary schools is currently 23% nationwide, he said.
“Unfortunately the Government is not creating any schedule to help those children. Provinces [under whose guardianship children have been placed] have completely failed to show any infrastructure regarding this serious issue,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.