“We are the world’s children. We are the victims of exploitation and abuse. We are children whose voices are not being heard; it is time we are taken into account. We want a world fit for children.
In this world, we see an end to exploitation, abuse and violence: laws that protect children from exploitation and abuse being implemented and respected by all, and centers and programs that help to rebuild the lives of the victimized children.”
These words were spoken by two children to the more than 7,000 people who participated in the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Children in 2002 — the year that Love146 was founded. We hold these words as sacred. In the statement, the children start as victims who are not being heard. As we listen, they get stronger. They demand action. In this world, we see an end to exploitation, abuse and violence.
We bring these words to you on November 20, which the United Nations has marked as Universal Children’s Day. On this day, as we begin to embrace the onset of the holiday season, these words have once again inspired us to amplify the voices of children.
Throughout the next month, instead of sharing the wisdom of renown grown-ups, we’ll be putting the words of children we serve before you.
For starters, we recently asked the boys and girls in our Survivor Care programs to talk with us about their aspirations. What they told us reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of hope and love to heal. Here are some things they shared:
Someday…
I will be a good engineer….
I will try to be a citizen who also serves impoverished people….
I will be a social worker, because ever since I was rescued, social workers were the ones who helped me and are still helping me…
I will rise above poverty, and then continue to dream big…
I will be a nurse and have a vegetable garden and many animals at my big house…
I will be an engineer, and I can also build a house for my family….
I will help my father to earn for our family and buy the things that my family needs …
I will work as a teacher or as a social worker who helps both the children and the elderly …
I will be an artist … and sing, and dance, and act…
I will be a flight stewardess of a famous airline company…
I will finish my studies and work abroad…
I will teach good values to my children and I will take them to different and beautiful places…
I will live together with my mother, father, and my brother…
[not_eu]GIVE IN HONOR OF CHILDREN’S DAY[/not_eu]
[eu_only]GIVE IN HONOUR OF CHILDREN’S DAY[/eu_only]
