Every time I come across a little face that captures my heart on my travels, I would love to take them in, feed them, give them access to the schooling we have had access to. Not that I have any of the answers or provisions such a child might need. But I could share my resources, and offer care and a safe place! What I really wish for them, however, is the freedom and right to be a child. To enjoy their childhood. To have one, as we adults in more fortunate communities have had.
I wish for them to have access to the freedom to play. To explore, and grow their own ideas. To ask questions, and be told the truth and taught what matters. To be given boundaries by their parents or the people caring for them (whatever that relationship is defined as), and explained why. To have an example of how to love. To be shown what it is to work for something they want, and achieve their dreams.
A safe home life. To be free from things that hurt – like abuse. Like illness, and accident. Safe, clean drinking water. To have enough food to eat. Enough love to hope, and feel worthy.
To never be sold into the sex trade, sold into marriage, forced into slavery, or made to traffic goods. Not to have to work long hours, before they are at a working age. Never to fall into the circumstances that sees them carry a gun, and hurt people for some gang or militant gain.
To be able to board a bus to get to school, without fear. To reach school, and to have the opportunity to gain all that they dream of from access to education. To not have to bribe their teacher everyday to access their learning materials, or to mark their tests, and provide them with the process needed to grown their knowledge and skills. To learn the basics, and become passionate about something within their schooling that they can take into their adult world, and make a living from.
The UN Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, sets out to protect and provide all of these things. But there are so many children who are not afforded such protection. Such basic access to their human rights.
I wish for them to have access to the freedom to play. To explore, and grow their own ideas. To ask questions, and be told the truth and taught what matters. To be given boundaries by their parents or the people caring for them (whatever that relationship is defined as), and explained why. To have an example of how to love. To be shown what it is to work for something they want, and achieve their dreams.A safe home life. To be free from things that hurt – like abuse. Like illness, and accident. Safe, clean drinking water. To have enough food to eat. Enough love to hope, and feel worthy.
To never be sold into the sex trade, sold into marriage, forced into slavery, or made to traffic goods. Not to have to work long hours, before they are at a working age. Never to fall into the circumstances that sees them carry a gun, and hurt people for some gang or militant gain.
To be able to board a bus to get to school, without fear. To reach school, and to have the opportunity to gain all that they dream of from access to education. To not have to bribe their teacher everyday to access their learning materials, or to mark their tests, and provide them with the process needed to grown their knowledge and skills. To learn the basics, and become passionate about something within their schooling that they can take into their adult world, and make a living from.The UN Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, sets out to protect and provide all of these things. But there are so many children who are not afforded such protection. Such basic access to their human rights.
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