Day of the African Child - Pass the Cap for Justice
This Day of the African Child, as young people all over the world graduate from school and university, we reflect on the urgency of securing every child’s right to an education, and the importance of education in delivering justice for those who are most excluded.
We celebrate the graduates in our alumnae network, CAMA, who, every day, “pass the cap” by providing support and mentorship to the most vulnerable children in their communities, and by inspiring more educated young women to step up as leaders.
I stand for rights everywhere, and people in my community know that about me. We learned how to protect child rights, how to speak for the voiceless, and how to engage other people to support the cause.
H., CAMFED alumna and Learner Guide in Tanzania, who recently brought a perpetrator of sexual abuse to justice
Day of the African Child (June 16th) focuses on putting children’s rights first — something our alumnae in the CAMA network commit to every day. These young women will stop at nothing to protect the rights of marginalized children — often with extraordinary courage. Educated young women who were once themselves vulnerable and excluded, they have a deeply ingrained sense of justice. Our Pass the Cap Appeal celebrates their activism, and challenges the public to join forces with these young leaders by supporting more girls to go to school.
This graduation season, thousands of young women supported by CAMFED are graduating from secondary and tertiary education, committed to paying their education forward.
Alice from Zambia is one of a cohort of CAMA members who have just graduated as Early Childhood Development teachers from Kitwe Teachers Training College. She’ll pass the cap by making sure children in her community, many from an impoverished background, get the best possible start in life.
Young leaders like CAMFED alumna H. from Tanzania (identity protected for safeguarding purposes) pass the cap by supporting the most vulnerable children in their communities.
Last month, this courageous young woman won justice for a 12-year-old sexual abuse victim. In her role as Learner Guide at her local school, she delivers life skills and ensures that children understand their rights.
CAMFED alumna Alice from Zambia, says, “I see myself as a mentor to parents, students and the community, giving words of encouragement about the importance of Early Childhood Education.”
CAMFED alumna Linda from Zimbabwe (video above) first used a computer when she was 19. Now she holds a degree in Computer Science and is an IT trailblazer, passing the cap by encouraging more young women to shine in tech world.
Malumbo from Malawi (pictured in the page’s header image) nearly saw her education slip away when her father died. Now she has a degree in Sustainable Agriculture, and is passing the cap by sharing her knowledge with young women across Malawi.
Joanna from Ghana just graduated from medical school. Now she plans to pass the cap as the first disabled doctor she is aware of, a beacon of strength and hope for young women from marginalized backgrounds everywhere.
Together we can make sure thousands more graduate into a life of possibility and service, supporting the next generation to go to school, succeed and lead.
Pass the Cap this Day of the African Child.
Read Lydia Wilbard’s interview with CAMFED alumna H., who fought for justice and won.