Members of Eastern Equatoria Inter-Religious Council condemn all forms of traditional practices that ruin the future of children during the focus group discussion on challenges facing kids on Saturday in AIC compound.
Radio Emmanuel quoted Bishop of African Inland Church Zachariah Eriga calling on churches to fight against traditions that block children from attaining their brighter future.
He says some traditions practice in Eastern Equatoria and South Sudan including child forced marriage, child abduction; discrimination against girls among others must come to an end.
Bishop Eriga encourages children to go to school in spite of difficulties as there is no permanent situation.
‘Suffering is there and its end is there. If a child enters in suffering let him or her think is the reason not to go to school. hold on your heart even though you sleep hungry today, tomorrow wake up and wash your face and go to school because the future of the country is in your hand that’s why our hope is in your hand children. If our children get spoilt in this country, our children if they are not send to school it means the Country will go backward, we should ensure that this generation should succeed so that tomorrow our country will stand strong, so that we know how to get ministers, doctors and teachers’, he tells kids.
Elizabeth Ihari, a member of the Inter-Religious Council, also condemns tribalism, saying all are South Sudanese.
She calls upon children to take education as a top priority.
‘This and this one is from this tribe, we are all South Sudanese. Thanks you so much with all the problems affecting you which have all aired out to us here. We shall take this issue as something not simple, we shall take this issues not as simple issues, we are hopeful all this issues will be solve, God’s grace this issues will shall forward a head and we shall sit a team as Churches, Government and parents we shall sit together to solve your problems and you are our future, if we don’t solve your problems, how will our future be, thanks you so much, you should concentrate a lot on education’, She appeals.
Sheik Musa Gabduri, Acting Chairperson for Interreligious Council in Eastern Equatoria says forced early marriage should be stopped in communities.
He further explains that education is the key to success and urged children to focus on school so as to become good future leaders.
‘The problems that you were telling here, you talked of early marriage, and all other things, this early marriage is not good, go to school, early marriage is not only to girls even boys, a boy of 15 years wants to get married. If you go to the village you will get a boy of 15 years having four wives and he cannot feed. Girls are married early, in most cases are they forced by fathers, this is not good. Education is good, go to school so that you will become future leaders’, he advises young people.
The speakers made the remarks on Saturday during a focus group discussion on challenges facing children and the role of religious leaders.
UNICEF organized the event at the African Inland Church compound in Torit.