On the 23rd of May, Mrs Graça Machel gave opening remarks at the Eighth International Policy Conference on the African Child dedicated to the pressing issue of child hunger in Africa. She gave this presentation in her capacity as the chairperson for the International Board of Trustees for the African Child Policy Forum. The African Child Policy Forum organises, on a biennial basis, the International Policy Conference on the African Child – the IPC. This is a Pan-African forum for reflection and policy dialogue on themes of paramount importance to our continent. It brings together key stakeholders from government, development partners and civil society from across and beyond Africa. Earlier conferences have addressed critical issues such as Violence against Girls, Child Poverty, Inter-country Adoption, and Crimes against Children.
The eighth International Policy Conference on the African Child intended to initiate, catalyse, and contribute to an Africa-wide conversation on the subject of child hunger and mobilise collective action, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
Below are some key highlights from Mrs Machel’s presentation:
- It’s time for introspection
“I often ask myself where did we go wrong? As Africans, it is time that we have a candid conversation and critically examine our policies and institutions, where we are doing well, and where we got it wrong. It is clear to me the past has not been satisfying. It was Einstein, who said that the technical definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We need to revisit the path we have followed over the last more than 50 years or so and investigate the political economy and intellectual paradigm within which we have been thinking and operating. This is tough and complicated. But we have to pose and confront ourselves intellectually. Such reflection and an Africa-wide conversation is very much needed to help us understand the statics and dynamics of our condition.”
- Investment in Nutrition is urgent
“I have been saying it in various forums and want to repeat it here again: The development of our nations and societies will continue to be stunted unless we invest massively in addressing child hunger. I strongly believe that we, as a society, can and should do better. This is why, as a Champion of the African Leaders for Nutrition Initiative, I am calling on African governments to invest in good nutrition for their children, starting now. I encourage us all to lend our voice to the #3in3 campaign, which calls on African countries to increase the amount of their national budgets that they allocate to nutrition by 3% over the next 3 years.”
Read more on our nutrition programme here
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.