EASTERN PROVINCE

RWAMAGANA — The Mayor of Rwamagana District, Valens Ntezirembo has warned residents of his district against using children for hard labor.

He made the remarks while addressing residents, teachers and students who had turned up for cerebrations of the International Day of the Africa Child day at Police Play Ground in Rwamagana.

"Respecting children’s rights is an obligation on part of every citizen, parents and teachers. It is prohibited to involving young children in hard labor,” Mayor Ntezirembo said.

Ntezirembo also told children to be conversant with their rights and to report any cases of child labor to district officials for immediate action.

He out lined some of the children rights including the right to education, a right to proper upbringing and the right to feeding among many others. He said it was prohibitive to harass children.

Speaking, on behalf of other children, Ingabire Odeth, a senior six pupil at Rwamagana A Primary school, said cases of violation of children rights are still rampant though sometimes they pass unnoticed. She noted that even some parents and teachers are involved in cases of violating children’s rights.

In Rwamagana, the African Child day was organized by the district in partnership with African Evangelist Enterprises (AEE), a faith based organization. 

The International Day of the Africa Child is cerebrated every year on the 16th of June. It is marked in commemoration of the Soweto-South Africa incidence, where thousands of black school children who were marching against the inferior quality of their education in 1976, were shot dead during the then apartheid regime.

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