Parents have been urged by Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Steven Nsubuga Bewayo to assume full responsibility for their children’s education rather than depending exclusively on government assistance.
RDC Bewayo made the appeal yesterday during the African Child Day celebration in Rukungiri District held at Bridge of Hope Children’s Ministry located in Kabashaki Cell, Eastern Ward Kebisoni Town Council Rukungiri District.
Rukungiri District decided to celebrate African Child Day yesterday Friday to raise awareness of children’s rights among families which was the goal of the event.
African Child Day was first observed in 1991 in South Africa as a response to the abuse of African American children, which included child labor, sexual harassment, segregation, discrimination, and physical punishment.
After more than 200 children were shot during public protests between 1976 and 1991, the government intervened to safeguard children and created the Memorial Day.
RDC Bewayo underlined that, with or without government assistance, raising children is a parental duty and that children are a gift from God.
Rukungiri District LCV Chairperson Geoffrey Kyomukama emphasized the value of children and issued a warning against the rising rate of drug usage among young people. He asked parents to notify the authorities of such problems.
Alex Mugabe Nathan, the mayor of Kebisoni Town Council, emphasized his commitment to the well-being of children and gave the council credit for recent years of excellent service delivery.
He denounced the actions of certain parents who complained to security agents the needless transfers of school administrators and district education executives.
Rukungiri District Probation Officer Jennifer Tumusimire blamed high dropout rates on parents who failed to provide basic necessities including food, school supplies, and appropriate clothes.
Along with highlighting the 1,652 adolescent pregnancies that were recently reported at prenatal care facilities; she also noted the spike in child defilement instances in Buhunga and Nyarushanje Sub Counties, cautioning that the actual figures may be higher owing to unreported cases.
The Rukungiri Municipal Council Probation Officer, Hildah Nasazi Abaasa, urged parents to prioritize education in order to prepare their children for a secure future in both the political and financial spheres.
She also emphasized the need of education for girls in order to uphold integrity in future marriages.
