Under-18 zone
Malal wants to end poverty
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| Malal
Diam Sow |
Malal Diam Sow, 15, was born in the Grand Medine neighborhood
of Dakar, the capital of Senegal. He is one of the youngest
children in a large family, with four brothers and two
sisters.
Malal doesn't live with his family. A few years ago,
his parents were able to enroll him in a special school,
called Daara of Malika, that was founded especially
for children who might otherwise be begging in the streets.
The school is not close to his home, so Malal sleeps
there with many other students, visiting his parents
during school breaks.
Basic literacy, Koranic studies and vocational skills
are taught at the school. Often, Malal organizes leisure
and sports activities for younger students who cannot
visit their families. As one of the older children at
the school, Malal has always looked after his younger
schoolmates.
Advocating for other children
Malal has traveled abroad once before. In 1999, he
went to Geneva as a delegate to the Children's Forum
that was set up to highlight the tenth anniversary of
the Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
Once back in his country, he passionately shared his
experience with his classmates and decided to get actively
involved in the fight against poverty. He became a member
of the Senegalese Children's Parliament; ATD
Fourth World, an organization working against extreme
poverty; and ATD Fourth World's children's branch, the
Tapori Movement. During a meeting organized by Senegal's
Family Minister, he also addressed the President of
the National Assembly to emphasize the need for laws
against child labour.
Young voices are essential
Could a Special Session on Children be complete without
children participating? Malal intends to show that young
people have a critical part to play in the decision-making
process. He will participate in the Children's Forum
and participate at a roundtable organized by the NGO
Subcommittee for the Eradication of Poverty. He will
also speak at the March for Children's Rights.
"Following our Geneva meeting, we made an appeal
to the world's leaders that they help us build a better
world," Malal explains. "The time has come
to ask 'big people' to lend a hand to build this better
world."
The themes that concern him are diverse. Armed conflict,
HIV/AIDS and education are particularly important. "I
find no issue that we should not address, as all the
things we address can only help in advancing the world,"
he says. "My most important message is: the world
must do away with war."
(Malal's Special Session diaries are available
in French.)
UNICEF supports the right of every child to be
heard, and therefore provides this opportunity for children
to voice their views and impressions of the United Nations
Special Session on Children. The report above reflects
the opinions of an individual child delegate to the
Special Session and does not represent the policies
or positions of UNICEF.
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