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Child.
Children converged at the Unicef offices to celebrate the day under the theme “All together for urgent actions in favour of street children”.
The event started with children touring different organisations, which exhibited children’s activities.

The organisations include Childline Zimbabwe, Children Empowerment Trust and Africaid among others.
Children castigated all forms of abuse as well as calling for their rights through various edutainment activities such as poetry, drama, song and dance. In an interview with The Herald, a street kid said living on the streets was tough.

“I opted to stay on the street because I could not swallow the ill treatment from my step mother. I could not go anywhere except the street but life is very difficult. We face all forms of abuse and are always associated with bad things like stealing even though some of us would be innocent. I want to appeal to the Government to help us through engaging us in various business activities and help us procure national identities,” he said.

A 16-year-old girl who was once housed by the Girl Child Network said: “Our mother passed on and the Girl Child Network accommodated me and my sister but I was released because of age but my sister is still there.

“I had nowhere to go because our relatives refused to take us in. Living in the street is very difficult especially to the girl child as we are exposed to all forms of abuse like rape and torture.
“I wish all the girls on the street could be accommodated somewhere safe as boys struggle to survive on the streets their conditions are better than us,” she said.

Another girl said she ran away from home because her mother is an excessive drinker and she always used to physically abuse her.
Music icon Oliver Mtukudzi graced the occasion and provided entertainment through his popular song “Chiri nani”. Mtukudzi expressed his dismay over parents who do not take great care of their children.

“We are here to celebrate our children, the day of the African Child. I don’t know whether its lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of the parents that do not respect the future of their children.
“That parent does not understand that his or her future lies in the hands of that child. Today, let’s put our heads together and celebrate our future,” he said.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, diplomats, Unicef Country representative Dr Peter Salama and Zimbabwe senior national soccer team coach Norman Mapeza among others graced the occasion.