RIGHT TO PLAY URGES STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH CONDUCIVE ENV’T FOR PLAY

Staff of Right to Play during the commemoration of play day.

By Ganiko Samson Bullen

Moyo

Right to play has called on stakeholders in Obongi District to create a supportive environment for children to learn, play and develop their skills.

The call was made during the belated commemoration of the International Day of Play, which brought together stakeholders, staff of Right To Play and representatives of various educational institutions in Palorinya Sub-county, Obongi District.

The Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Obongi, Robert Kumakech Obina, who was the chief guest, urged stakeholders to support children by creating an environment where they can learn and play freely.

He says play helps children gain confidence, become more creative and develop important life skills.

“We have discovered that, as children play, they also learn. This gives them confidence, makes them more creative and helps them develop many skills, such as communication and conflict resolution. When they disagree during play, they learn how to resolve their differences,” he says.

Meanwhile, Vincent Molumasi, the Vice Chairperson of Obongi District, says Right To Play has remained a key development partner whose work has had a visible impact in communities.

He says promoting children’s right to play is supported by national, regional and international legal frameworks that protect children’s rights.

“The International Day of Play did not just come out of the blue. When you look at the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, as amended, especially Article 34, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the relevant United Nations conventions, they all advocate for the protection of children’s rights because children are considered vulnerable,” he says.

Masika Silvia Hope, the Country Director of Right To Play, says the commemoration had initially been scheduled for June 11 but was postponed following the Ebola outbreak.

She says Right To Play has spent more than 25 years using play to support children’s learning, well-being, resilience and development.

“For more than 25 years, Right To Play has been a global leader in using play to support children’s learning, well-being, resilience and development,” she says.

Speaking on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Department of Refugees, Geoffrey Mulera, an Assistant Community Services Officer, says the day is significant to children and the wider Obongi community because it recognizes the importance of children’s right to play at the international level.

The commemoration was held under the theme, “Play Changes Everything.”

Written by newsroom-radiopacis