1.8 million people live in Guinea-Bissau. 872,000 are children, and 291,000 of the children are under five years old.
From the day you are born you have the right to have a name and to be registered as a citizen in your country. 66,000 children are born every year in Guinea-Bissau. 8 out of 10 of them are never registered. There is no documented proof that they exist!
Children who are blind or have another disability often experience discrimination in Guinea-Bissau. WCP Child Rights Hero
Manuel Rodrigues, himself blind, refused to accept this injustice.
You have the right to life. Guinea-Bissau must do all it can to allow children to survive and develop. 1 out of 10 children in Guinea-Bissau (6,000 every year) die before the age of 5, usually due to causes that could have been prevented.
You have the right to food, clean water, medical care, and to privacy when consulting an adult about any health problem. 7 out of 10 children in Guinea-Bissau have water from improved water sources, and 2 out of 10 have access to adequate sanitation facilities.
You have the right to a home, food and security. 7 out of 10 children in
Guinea-Bissau live in extreme poverty with less than 1.90 US-dollar (1020 West African CFA franc) a day to live on.
Samuel and Adelia learn to read and write in Braille, a special language for those who are blind or have a visual impairment. Learn how
Samuel was abandoned but later got some of his eye sight back!
You have the right to go to school. Primary and secondary schools should
be free for everyone. More than 7 out of 10 children in Guinea-Bissau go to school, but many of them leave school too early. And many children do not go to school at all.
You have the right to protection against all forms of violence, including neglect,
maltreatment and abuse. Only 60 countries have forbidden all forms of corporal punishment for children. Guinea-Bissau has not, and many schools still allow caning.
You have the right to be protected against both economic exploitation and
work that is hazardous to your health or which prevents you from going to school.
All work is prohibited for children under 12. Some children are forced into the worst forms of child labour, such as being debt slaves, child soldiers, or used for commercial sexual exploitation. An estimated 200,000 children aged 5-14 in Guinea-Bissau have to work.
You have the right to say what you think about any issue that affects you.
The adults should listen to the child’s opinion before they make decisions,
which must always be made in the best interest of the child!