By Fatou Bojang
Young people in The Gambia are urging authorities to include children’s voices in national budgeting, insisting that real progress on children’s rights depends on allowing them to influence decisions affecting their lives.
At the International Day of the African Child commemoration in Albadarr, students and advocates stressed that funding priorities must reflect children’s lived realities, reinforcing AAITG’s call for greater investment in child-focused programs.
Salymatou Joof of Alberadeh Senior Secondary School, said that one of the day’s most resonant messages, urging policymakers to recognize children as active stakeholders.
“The voice of the child must be heard and acknowledged at all times,” she said, calling for guaranteed access to healthcare, shelter, and basic needs as part of The Gambia’s development agenda.
Her echoed growing concerns that, despite structural reforms including the establishment of the Ministry of Children and Gender Affairs children are still largely absent from decision-making platforms that determine national priorities.
Dembo Samateh, Deputy Governor of the North Bank Region, acknowledged the urgency of the issue, describing children not just as the future but the present, whose concerns must shape government policy.
Alagie Camara, AAITG Child Sponsorship Manager, reinforced this message, urging institutions and partner organizations to integrate children’s perspectives into planning and budgeting.
He warned that without deliberate inclusion, harmful practices such as FGM, child marriage, and exploitation would remain difficult to eradicate.
Participants at the event noted that while progress has been made since 2010 in strengthening child protection systems, persistent challenges including poverty, climate shocks, and gaps in service delivery continue to affect children’s well-being.
Ensuring that children’s voices directly influence how resources are allocated, they argued, is essential to closing these gaps.
The Albadarr commemoration underscored a shifting narrative in child-rights advocacy: children are no longer asking merely for protection, but for participation. As The Gambia works to advance children’s rights, stakeholders agree that elevating children’s voices in public budgeting may be one of the most transformative steps the country can take.
