In Soweto, South Africa, thousands of black school children took to the streets in 1976, in a march to protest the inferior quality of their education and to demand the right to be taught in their own language.

Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot down; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand injured.

To honour the memory of the children who were massacred on that day, and the courage of all those who marched, the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on  June 16, every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity (now African Union).

In a news conference organized ahead of the commemoration, The Minister of Gender and Family promotion urged all Rwandans to fend for the rights of children.

On this Day, we should remind ourselves of the imperative to nurture the Rwandan children. The Government now offers free education for all at primary and part of secondary level, however, there are some students who still miss school because of the demand for domestic labor.

As we celebrate the Day of the African Child tomorrow, let us reflect on the upbringing of our children. They are the future of tomorrow, the way we treat them today, will determine who they will grow up to be.

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