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IT IS NOT YET UHURU FOR AFRICA’S CHILDREN: VOICES RISE AT THE AFRICA CHILDREN’S SUMMIT

April 4, 2025

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Samuel Smith, Chairperson of the Kenya Children’s Assembly

By Precious Mupenzi

Africa’s children are uniting to make sure their voices are heard at the Africa Children’s Summit taking place in Johannesburg from 4 – 7 April 2025.
President of the Kenyan Children’s Assembly, Samuel Smith, says the delegation from the east African country is in South Africa to share their stories with others from the continent and to find solutions to the challenges they face.
The young participants, like Smith, are determined to develop mechanisms to ensure resolutions from the summit are implemented.

“It is not yet uhuru for the children of Africa.” These were the powerful words of 16-year-old Samuel Smith, President of the Kenyan Children’s Assembly, as he spoke ahead of the official opening of the much-anticipated Africa Children’s Summit.

The summit, taking place from 4 – 7 April 2025 in Johannesburg, has brought together young change-makers from across the continent, including Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, South Sudan, Lesotho, and Eswatini, to engage in meaningful dialogue, share ideas, and shape the future of Africa’s children.

The energy among the delegates is electric, driven by a shared determination to ensure that the voices of African children are not only heard but also acted upon.

For Smith, attending such gatherings has always been a bittersweet experience, as he has witnessed a pattern where children’s voices are reduced to paperwork that never translates into real change.

Unique challenges

“We have come with our own unique challenges as the Kenyan delegation, carrying the weight of all the voices of Kenyan children. We are here to share our stories with other African children and find solutions to our problems,” Smith said.

While Kenya has made strides in developing policies to protect children, weak implementation leaves many vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and systemic exclusion.

Members of the Kenyan delegation highlighted some of the challenges the children of that country faced.

Al’Amin Ahmed, a 16-year-old delegate, spoke passionately about the everyday struggles children in Kenya face – challenges that are often invisible in policy corridors, including a lack of infrastructure that made public schools difficult to access during floods.

Nineteen-year-old Salman Abdelrahman described how poverty, for example, continues to be a major driver of inequality, forcing many children out of school and into child labour as they try to support their families.

A passionate advocate for inclusion, Abdelrahman, who is deaf, also spoke of the challenges children with disabilities face, where they are often stigmatised and overlooked, with inadequate support systems.

A call for action, not just formalities

Unlike previous forums, the Africa Children’s Summit is different, Smith insists. “It’s not like any other summit or conference where duty bearers are just here to tick boxes for formalities. Here, we are expecting action, commitment, and acceleration,” he emphasised.

Smith, who has attended numerous international conferences advocating for children’s rights, has grown increasingly frustrated with the cycle of discussions that lead nowhere.

“Most of the time, we, as child representatives, are called to conventions, we raise concerns, we provide recommendations, and even government representatives sign commitments. But then nothing happens. Our voices are reduced into paperwork that gathers dust in offices,” he explained.

This systemic failure, he said, has left many young advocates feeling discouraged.

“We are tired of this old system. We keep coming, they call us, they listen, they nod, they feed us, but nothing is done. And even if something is done, we are not given feedback. So, we don’t even know whether our efforts are making an impact,” he said.

Beyond the summit: ensuring accountability

With young leaders from across the continent in attendance, Smith believes this summit will be a turning point.

He and other child leaders are determined to ensure their concerns are not just documented but acted upon.

“I plan to use my voice, as always, to advocate for my people. But beyond that, I want to bring together other young leaders like me, so that we can develop mechanisms to ensure that the resolutions from this summit are implemented,” he said.

Smith emphasised the need to take child advocacy beyond national platforms and elevate it to the African Children’s Committee, ensuring that grassroots voices are also included.

“Change starts at the local level. We must begin there and escalate our demands up the chain. That’s how we will make progress as a continent and contribute to Africa’s Agenda 2063,” he said.

A future leader in the making

Raised by a single mother, Smith is no stranger to challenges, but they have only strengthened his resolve to fight for children’s rights.

His aspirations stretch far beyond the summit. “I want to be the UN Secretary-General one day, so I can leave a mark on the entire world and serve humanity from a genuine heart. Kenya has never produced a UN Secretary-General, and I want to be the first,” he shared with confidence.

The summit’s significance

With young leaders like Smith at the helm, the Africa Children’s Summit is more than just a conference; it is a movement for real change.

Among the prominent young leaders in attendance is Dikgang Morudu, President of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament, who will be representing close to 20 million children in South Africa. His participation further amplifies the importance of this gathering, as African children unite to demand genuine engagement and meaningful outcomes.