Last Sunday, a second local edition of Children's Rights Day was celebrated in various areas of the Ugandan capital. More than 1,500 children gathered in various neighbourhoods of Kampala – from Nakulabye to Ntinda, from Muyenga to the slums of Katwe – for a day of celebration, reflection and commitment, entitled 'The future belongs to children'.
The day was promoted by the children of the Schools of Peace of the Community of Sant'Egidio, and involved many other children from the city, including those from the poorest and most marginalised neighbourhoods.
In Uganda, many children live in extremely difficult conditions: they grow up in shacks in large slums, or are street children, homeless, without assistance and often even without a birth certificate, the basic document to access school and other fundamental rights.
Despite this, it was precisely these children, who are often neither listened to nor recognised, became the protagonists of the day. The Schools of Peace offer them a welcoming environment where no one is excluded and where you learn the value of friendship, solidarity and peace. It is there that someone believes in them, in their dreams and in their future.
Through games, songs, dances and moments of sharing, the children talked about their hopes and reflected together on how to build a better future. They face many challenges: a fairer and more liveable city, where there is room for everyone, rich and poor, where every child can go to school, have a home and be recognised as a citizen.
Above all, however, the children sent out a strong and clear message: they want to build peace. They do not accept war, they consider it useless and unjust. Their march for peace, carrying placards with the names of countries still at war, ended with a moment of prayer for peace.
In a world that often ignores them, children made their voices heard, demonstrating what has been called “the weak force”: a force made up of dreams, hope and the desire for change. A force capable of engaging, uniting and transforming the future.
The Children's Day celebration, organised to listen to children and recognise their dignity, has highlighted that even those who have little, if they are welcomed and listened to, can contribute to changing the world.
