By Adeola Ogunlade
As part of the activities marking the 2021 UNICEF International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, African Children of Peace Club, an affiliate of African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiative (AFPLI) in partnership with KAFTAN TV and WFM 91.7 has concluded plans to stage children interactive programme holding on the 4 and 5th of March respectively.
The Founding President of AFPLI, Rev Titus Oyeyemi said this in a release available to newsmen, said that the programme tagged: COVID-19 and Children will provide an opportunity for children to share their experience and opinion about COVID-19 and its socio-economic implications on them.
He said that the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting was launched by UNICEF in 1991 in order to encourage broadcasters worldwide to create awareness for children issues. Broadcasters would air quality programming for and about children. It holds every First Sunday in March annually across the world.
He noted that according to UNICEF, children are not the face of this pandemic. But they risk being among its biggest victims, as children’s lives are nonetheless being changed in profound ways. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are being affected, in particular by the socio-economic impacts and, in some cases, by mitigation measures that may inadvertently do more harm than good.
He said “we want to explore children and young people’s reflections and perceptions on the COVID-19. It is organized in response to the young people’s continued child activism in the face of personal challenges”.
“AFPLI hopes that the discussion and perspective of the participating children will prove useful to other child rights focused organisations as we seek to better understand what children and young people want to do in this time of crisis and how they can be supported, equipped, and encouraged”.
He further stressed that we are also desirous to empower children and create media access for them to tell their stories, express their hopes, and share their aspirations about peace and their quest for a healthier world. Children need awareness to see, pursue, explore, engage, and utilize opportunities around them to build improved and sustainable future.
Oyeyemi noted that since 2003, African Children of Peace Club is one and first of the four school based peace clubs that the African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives is using to promote her youth peace and Nation building programme within the Nigeria Education system.
He opined that radio and television is an effective and economically feasible opportunity for young people to express themselves, to display their knowledge, their interests and concerns.
He pointed out that although children are major consumer of radio and television programmes; they also have the aptitude to create content and amplify their concern, hope and aspiration for a brighter future.
Oyeyemi asserted that the programme will revolve around two major issues: COVID-19 and the Socio-economic implication on children and peace and ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
