Every year, June 16 is celebrated as the International Day of the African Child.

It all started in Soweto, South Africa in 1976 during the Apartheid era when black school children launched a peaceful protest by walking a mile to draw attention to poor education quality as well as the right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of children were shot and killed by South African police.

Since 1991, this day was declared as the International Day for the African Child in memory of those children who were injured and killed during the protest.

Another year has come and gone and today, June 16, we are again celebrating the Day of the African Child. Today, the apartheid regime is gone but the African child is facing many other problems which include:

• poverty – Africa is home to many of the poorest countries in the world and African children are suffering from lack of proper nutrition, clean drinking water, and sanitation facilities. About 50% of the population of many African countries live on less than US$1.25 a day.

• poor health – The life expectancy of an African child at birth is 50 years, much lower than the world average of 68.Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS. In Eastern and Southern Africa alone, 1.3 million children are HIV positive and 8.7 million children have been orphaned by AIDS.

• human trafficking – Many children in Africa, but also in other parts of the world, are victims of human trafficking. Young boys are being forced to become soldiers. Young girls are being pushed into child prostitution. Boys and girls alike are engaged in child labor. It is estimated that about 100 million girls worldwide are involved in child labor. Last week, on June 12, the UNICEF celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the World Day against Child Labor.

• lack of education – Although about 66% of children start primary school, only 20% of males and 18% of males ever make it to secondary school. Adult literacy rate is 66%.

This year’s theme is “Africa Fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their survival”. This is partly based on last year’s report by the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) entitled “The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2008: How child-friendly are African governments?”. According to the report, African governments are impressive when it comes to their involvement in child-focused movements, campaigns or treaties.

However, it is not clear how far their commitment really goes. The report says that in many African countries, there are big gaps between words and deeds, between promises and actions. Let us hope that this year’s theme will push African leaders beyond lip service and put the welfare of African children on top of their agenda.

Last week, the world learned that pop star Madonna was seeking to adopt a second child from the African nation of Malawi. On Thursday, Malawi’s Minister of Child Welfare supported Madonna, saying the adoption left one less mouth for the government to feed. On Friday, shortly after an unofficial report claimed the judge had privately told her she would be approved, her case was rejected by a Malawi judge, effectively terminating her appeal to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James.

The 50-year-old singer did not appear in person in court. Her New York spokeswoman did not comment. But her lawyer filed notice that he would appeal the decision.

Reportedly, the refusal is based solely on a law that requires adoptive parents to have lived in the country for a year and a half. The judge said she would not bend the rules just because Madonna was rich and famous. And since she had “jetted into the country during the weekend just days prior to the hearing,” she could hardly be considered a resident. This addendum has led some to believe that Madonna’s celebrity status is actually the reason why she was rejected.

Others suppose it is because of her single parent status. The residency requirement was waived for her first adoption, when Madonna was married to Guy Ritchie. Today, Ritchie spoke kindly of Madonna, saying she was a great mum and that he was saddened by the court’s decision. “She is motivated only by being a caring parent who seeks to share some of the advantages and opportunities that her life has given her.”

For the second time, Madonna also drew sharp attacks from her own critics, as well as child welfare groups that generally look down on international adoptions. Their mantra is “the child is better off with relatives.” That is the typical course for African orphans. But since 14% of adults in Malawi have AIDS, there aren’t enough relatives to go around. Even healthy adults are often incapable of providing financially for children, many of whom end up on the streets.

When Madonna adopted now 3-year old David Banda, the criticism was a little more understandable. His father is alive but unable to care for him. He had never once visited the orphanage where David lived. At the time, the father supported the adoption, according to Madonna’s 2006 interview with the BBC.

Mercy James is different. Her mother, just 14 when she gave birth, died shortly after. Her father is not mentioned. Her grandmother is unable to care for her. The child’s maternal uncle consented to the adoption. Madonna promised to rescue the child from a life of “hardship and emotional trauma” that is inevitable for an orphan. Still, some people say that Mercy should stay in the country because of the possibility that distant relatives may appear and be able to take her in.

After the court decision was handed down, Madonna and her three children (3-year-old David, 8-year-old son Rocco, and 12-year-old daughter Lourdes) toured the location of a school she is building. Later, she threw a party at her hotel with traditional dancers, as well as government officials and the staff of Raising Malawi, Madonna’s charity. Earlier in the week, they visited David’s orphanage and David’s biological father.

They are disguised as hospitals, maternity clinics, orphanages or foster homes. But these supposedly humanitarian institutions are actually engaged in inhuman activities – breeding and trafficking babies for money. This news came out of Nigeria as law enforcers raided several such institutions last week, as reported in this article in the Mail & Guardian.

The babies come from 2 sources, namely:

• Teenagers with unwanted pregnancies who are locked up and abused in the clinics until they delivered.
• Women who rent out their wombs for money.

The next question is, where do the babies end up?

The lucky ones are sold at high prices to childless couples within Nigeria or even across the border to other African countries. The unlucky ones end up with organizations that will raise them for child labor and sexual purposes. Or even worse, some babies could end up as victims of human body parts farming and witchcraft rituals.

No, these are not just horror fairy tales, they really happen in real life. BBC reported this week about the gruesome murder of a 6-year old albino girl in Burundi. Some of her body parts have been removed, presumed to be used in ritual medicine. She was the 6^th albino to have been killed in the country this way since September this year.

It is sobering to read such happenings in other parts of the world. Suddenly, my worries about bisphenol A, childhood vaccines, and private vs public schools seem insignificant, even mundane compared to what these people and these babies are going through. “There, but for fortune, go you or I.”

The tragic story of a 650 lb. baby hippo, named Owen, estranged from its parents in Kenya by a strong river current and then a tsunami, has a happy ending. Owen found motherly love in the most unlikely of animals, a 100 year old tortoise. The tortoise has gratefully assumed the role of mother to the lost hippo and they live day in and day out, together. Swimming together, eating together, and even sleeping together.

Click here to read more about this fascinating story.