International Day of the African Child
Later this month, on Sunday 16th June, we mark the International Day of the African Child.

16th June marks the 43rd anniversary of the Soweto Uprising. In 1976, whilst South Africa was under apartheid rule, thousands of black school children marched in Soweto to protest about the poor quality of their education and to demand that they be taught in their own language.

Over a hundred people were killed in the following weeks’ protests. This day has been marked since 1991, to refocus commitments to ensuring children’s rights across the African continent.

Amos Trust works alongside three partners across the continent, in Tanzania, Burundi and South Africa, and we’ll be sharing stories from our partners across the weekend.

Beach life: Umthombo’s girls’ programme has expanded in recent years, responding to an increasing number of girls and young women being met by Umthombo’s outreach team.

This year’s celebration is particularly poignant for our partner Umthombo in South Africa, since 2019 marks 25 years since the end of apartheid. To stand in solidarity with Umthombo this month as they mark the International Day of the African Child, why not support their work with a donation?

You can make a one-off donation here or become a regular giver here.

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Other news from our partners

Looking ahead to July
Dieudonne Nahimana, founder of New Generation Burundi will be in the UK with us in July. There’ll be a few opportunities to meet Dieudonne and hear an update on New Generation’s work, including their entrepreneurship programme for girls and young women. More details on when and where he’ll be visiting will be made available soon.

A win for India!
As you may already know, Team India South triumphed at the inaugural Street Child Cricket World Cup last month at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

The squad was made up of eight teenagers from Chennai and Mumbai — four girls and four boys. Amos partner Karunalaya led the group from Chennai. Karunalaya are now long-standing participants in Street Child World Cup events and are experts at using them to gain media attention on the real issues facing children on the streets. 

They’ve received press coverage across India and here in the UK; take a look at this example from the Big Issue.

Triumph: Team India South celebrating after winning the inaugural Street Child Cricket World Cup at Lord’s back in May. Photograph: Rosie Hallam

Monisha, the youngest member of team India South, was also the team’s spokesperson. She spoke fervently on the issues faced by girls on the streets — experiences she knows all too personally.

Monisha still lives on the street with her family, in Chennai. The team focused their messages on ‘4 Runs for 4 Rights’ — the right to survival, protection, participation, and development. But for Monisha and the team, the priority was children’s need for protection for children in pavement-dwelling communities and the safety of girls in particular.

Stay tuned in the coming months for more updates on Team India’s return home, and how they are using this fantastic platform to advocate for change. 

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Amos Book Club

This month we’re reading:
‘The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perseverance and Hope in Troubled Times’ by Paul Loeb. 

This collection of writings, stories and essays from leaders and thinkers across the world is packed with insights and reflections for when the state of the world may seem hopeless. Contributors include Nelson Mandela, Alice Walker, Cornel West, Audre Lorde and many lesser-known activists too. 

You can buy the book here.

Perseverance and Hope: ‘The Impossible Will Take a Little While’ by Paul Loeb 

...and we’re listening to:
‘Mothers of Invention’ 

Mothers Of Invention: Mary Robinson (left), former president of Ireland, and comedian Maeve Higgins. Photograph: Ruth Medjber

This fantastic podcast hosted by the unlikely duo of a former Irish president Mary Robinson and an Irish comedian Maeve Higgins features women around the world who are finding creative ways to combat climate change. As they describe it, climate change is a man-made problem with a feminist solution.

You can listen to the podcast here.

And if Climate Justice interests you, why not join Amos Trust in Cambridge on 23-24 September for our inaugural Climate Justice Summit. You can find full details here.

Finally, please sign up to receive Amos Trust’s E-news which will keep you updated about On Her Terms and the rest of our work in Palestine and Nicaragua.

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Find out more about Amos’ On Her Terms campaign