AASU PLEDGES TO SUPPORT THE 100 MILLION CAMPAIGN

           

Photo: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Kailash Satyarthi presenting a signature token to the Secretary General of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), Mr. Peter Kwasi Kodjie at the Africa Launch of the 100 Million Campaign

 

The All-Africa Students Union, AASU, a continental students’ movement has emphasized its resolve to take leadership role in spearheading the 100 million campaign at the regional level.

 This it said would be done through its Volunteer Teacher Program which will be launched later this year. 

In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Peter Kwasi Kodjie, and copied to gbconline, the movement further pledged its commitment to providing quality education for children around the globe, who through no fault of theirs are engaged in hazardous activities at the expense of schooling.

 The 100 Million Campaign is an effort to save children involved in worst forms of child labour and give them education to enable them realize their  full potentials.

 The idea of the campaign was mooted and developed in India, through the selflessness of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Kailash Satyarthi. 

According to the statement, the 100 Million Campaign is a call to action for a world where all young people are free, safe and educated. 

The campaign is not only in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, (SDG 4) which stresses the democratization of education through inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, but also serves to highlight the overlapping nature of the SDGs. 

The statement noted that the 100 Million campaign goes to complement global efforts aimed at ending poverty of all forms (SDG 1), and ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for all ages as captured in SDG 3. 

It added that the campaign mean a lot to Africa, where UNICEF report suggests that, half of the population is below 18; and a good number of whom are out of school, jobless or unemployed. 

In some circumstances these unfortunate ones are sexually exploited, trafficked or used as slaves.

 To this end, AASU said it shall endeavor to mobilize African students through its member unions to organize themselves to promote the 100 Million Campaign in their institutions and countries.

 Meanwhile, the 100 Campaign has sparked a lot of support across the world, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, UK, Sweden, India, Peru, and in Africa Togo.  

 At the Africa level, the Campaign was launched officially at the Accra International Conference Centre on March, 16 2018 following a two-day series of coordinated meetings to strategize how to roll out the campaign in Africa on the background of our different contexts. 

In the meantime, some remarkable progress have been made as hundreds of children have been saved from extreme forms of child labour and made to attend school.  

AASU is grateful to Dr. Kailash Satyarthi and his team  for the bold initiative and “pledge to do all within its capacity to end child labour and ensure education for all. 

AASU by this statement also hopes to work in partnership with other interest groups to stamp out violence against children so that every young person will be free, safe and educated.

GBC’s Isaac Asare /Release