Children are the fabric of society’s sustainability; therefore, their development determines the fate of what the outcome of society is.

Children must be cared for, loved, and provided every opportunity to survive peacefully and become productive.

Experience has shown over time that, when children are not provided the opportunities needed to be educated and productive citizens, they demand what belongs to them. In most given circumstances, they become victims of their just actions to ask for what belongs to them.

On Junes 16, 1976, hundreds of children marched the streets of Soweto, South Africa to create awareness of the prevailing situation at the time, thereby demanding “quality and accessible education.” Fate decided a wrong path for them as hundreds were killed and brutalized from the thousands that marched the streets.

This is an experience that the world can no longer accept, but it is most likely to reoccur (probably in another form) when children are continuously denied their rights to education and peaceful coexistence.

Quality education should be a must for children. But in our contemporary setting, formal education is not the only solution to developing students’ intellect and preparing them for the real world. Therefore, to ensure quality education for children, it must be complemented by required skills to add extra values.

Had this been done, we would not have had any reason to regret a tragic incident from some forty-years ago. However, it is an opportunity for us to truly understand the importance of education for children; and for policy makers and world leaders to prioritize education in everyday global plans.

As Africa celebrates the “Day of the African Child” today, which begun in 1991 to commemorate the June 16, 1976 event, I think it is important for us all to reflect not only on the aftermath of the event but the cause of its occurrence.

An old man once told me, “Whenever you fall, do not look at where your face rises, but where you stomped. Do this so next time when you see such ahead of you, you will avoid it to not repeat another fall.”

On that day, forty years ago, children marched the streets in demand of “quality and accessible education” and met their menace. We owe a commitment to make possible the outcomes of what they stood for in every country in Africa.

In our individual roles, it is the time that we make this commitment possible by contributing to helping every child recognize their hidden potentials and harness it to make an impact.

Our leaders must be cautioned to improve the education delivery service for children.

This is a cause for which we must stand. Help a child today, and build Liberia’s future.

Featured photo courtesy of Jefferson Krua