Protecting African Children's Rights

There are no poor children in Africa; yet, there are billions of poor individuals over the world. According to the World Bank, “over one billion people live in extreme (or absolute) poverty, that is, on less than $ 1 a day. Extreme poverty occurs in countries in the Third (or developing) World” (Cannon 208). In comparison to other countries in the Third World, Africa has the greatest proportion of its popularity are children, who are living in extreme poverty. Due to the inevitable existence of poverty in their countries, many of the children are unfortunately deprived of their own human rights. In order to protect those children’s rights in such poor countries, the America citizens and the American presidents must not fail those hungry nations who are desperate for their help. Therefore, the American presidents must carry out their promises for those poor countries, and implement social transfer programmes in order to help Africa support its population’s involvement in education, and improvement in health care services.

Over the last decade, Sub-Saharan Africa population has been categorized as the most poverty stricken areas worldwide. In such countries, the poor children’s mental and physical development is impacted the most due to the existence of the absolute poverty. According to Cannon, who formerly served as the Director of Development and Transformation at Willow Creek Community Church, the majority of the poor populations in South Africa are children. “In South Africa alone, between 45-55 percent of the entire population…between 57-75 percent of children are living in poverty” (Cannon 208). Unfortunately, the absolute poverty had shown its ugly face in the various life aspects such as health, starvation...

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...esident Obama, “To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds” ( qtd in Thurow and Kilman 260). Only through the financial support from the other developed countries such as the United States, Africa will be able to trample over its widespread poverty and its negative effects especially on the children. Undoubtedly, Barack Obama must abide to his promise and adapt the implementation of social transfer programmes in cash in order to end the child poverty in Africa, and to protect the poor children’s human rights which are constantly violated since the last decade. Ultimately, the implementation of social transfer programmes in cash can also help protecting those poor children from adapting unethical habits such as child prostitution and child labour.