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Young people voice concerns and propose solutions at national congress
By Marcia Morales on 10 Jul 2007
More than 100 children and teenagers, as well as 150 representatives from government institutions, religious leaders, farmers, mothers and some community leaders from 25 municipalities of Nicaragua discussed problems faced by rural children and teenagers at a national forum.
At the Congress ‘Rural Children and Teenagers, Government and the Civil Society’, participants also presented a municipal proposal to improve the situation. The multi-sector proposal was handed to the Third Secretary of the National Assembly, Mr. Juan Ramón Jimenez, to request the state power follow-up on demands made by the children and teenagers.
The document stated the need to integrate inter-sector efforts to provide an answer to the main demands made by children and teenagers. The various sectors engaged to assume effective actions in favor of the rural children and teenager’s welfare and to create new participation spaces for them.
Rural children and teenagers said quality of education and health are significant problems. According to UNICEF, it takes an average of 10.3 years to complete the mandatory six years of schooling, and only 29 percent of children complete primary schooling. In terms of health, one in every three children has some degree of chronic malnutrition and nine percent suffer from severe malnutrition in Nicaragua.
Children and teenagers who participated in the congress came from communities supported by 25 of World Vision’s Area Development Programs located in the south, central and north regions of Nicaragua and financed by 6 support offices: Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany.
Carolina García, 14, from Tololar, a community supported by Casitas ADP, located 130 kilometers from the capital, Managua said: “We have made many proposals to improve the situation of children and adolescents regarding the defense of our rights in our communities. We expressed our dreams and aspirations and we want adults to hear our voices and commit themselves in the improvement of our lives”.
In the closing ceremony, The Special Procurator of Children and Teenagers of the State of Nicaragua, Norma Moreno, attested before the national and department authorities to guarantee the compliance of the commitments made during the congress.
Government representatives and the National Director of World Vision Nicaragua, Roger Araica, attended the closing ceremony.
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