On the State of the World’s Children

The SOWC report, according to UNICEF, features stories of innovators of all ages from across the world who are helping to tackle some of the most intractable problems facing children, and especially the most vulnerable, through their creativity.

The report is actually being published at a time when many children are faced with so many problems that make life bleak for them, and cause a serious setback for countries around the world, especially least developed nations such as ours.

The majority of children around the world are faced with physical and mental violence, injury or abuse, including rape and sexual exploitation. They are also deprived of good health, and are separated from parents against their will.

Although many children enjoy the advantages of urban life, including access to educational, medical and recreational facilities, too many, however, are denied such essentials as electricity, clean water and health care – even though they may live close to these services.

Too many are forced into dangerous and exploitative work, instead of being able to attend school.

According to UNICEF, too many children also face a constant threat of eviction, “even though they live under the most challenging conditions – in ramshackle dwellings and overcrowded settlements that are acutely vulnerable to disease and disaster”.

It is, therefore, essential that serious actions are taken to fight the cause of children and let them enjoy all the rights that would permit them to become healthy and good citizens of their nations.

The abuse of children in whatever form saps the health and ego of our children, destroys the growth, development and future of our nations, as well as demoralizes our society.

All should, therefore, put hands on deck to protect our children from abuse, and to nurture their growth and development.

The 2015 SOWC report, therefore, challenges governments, businesses, activists and communities to “think differently and work synergistically to drive new ideas that could tackle pressing problems facing the world’s most disadvantaged children, and to scale up the best ideas from local innovators”.

“Children should be able to live a life free from bullying and harassment and it is time that we all took a stand against this.”

Katherine Jenkins