Chichester pupil set to bring Ugandan child rights home

Stanley is a member of his student council at Jessie Younghusband Primary School in Chichester, and his dad works for Children on the Edge, a Chichester based NGO which supports some of the most marginalised children around the world.

Through talking with his dad, Stanley found out about three child rights clubs supported by the charity in Uganda and all the incredible things they have done to make their communities cleaner, safer and more fun for children.

Stanley said: “What happens to some of the families in Jinja is devastating and in some cases against child and human rights. For example, the children are exposed to diseases and illness but rarely given protection.”

Stanley decided he wanted to find out exactly how and why these children have made such a difference to this situation, and what he could learn to inspire his own student council at home in Chichester.

Stanley met with his fellow students last Wednesday to hear all their questions, and he will be travelling to Uganda in half term to spend time with the children in Jinja, bringing back his findings for the next council meeting and presenting them on November 25 in school assembly.

The assembly will be five days after Universal Children’s Day on November 20, which is celebrating 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Stanley’s dad, Ben, said: “We feel this is a great way to bring child rights alive, exploring the nuances of child rights in different cultures, in a way that is led by children themselves.”

Stanley is looking forward to finding out more and being able to bring back advice.