Remarks by Mr Charles Stuart, Acting Head of EU Delegation on the Occasion of the Day of the African Child 2018: "Dreams for the Future"

REMARKS BY MR CHARLIE STUART, ACTING HEAD OF DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THE DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD 2018: “Dreams for the Future”

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TANZANIA                                      Tuesday, 19 June 2018

Dear students and teachers,

Dear Colleagues and friends

Good morning? (Habari za Asubuhi? Hamjambo watoto?)

Happy African Child’s Day!  (Heri ya siku ya Mtoto Waafrika!)

It’s a great privilege to address you this morning, the proud sons and daughters of Tanzania, and the spirit of this great nation. (Ninayo furaha kubwa ya kuzungumza nanyi , watoto wa Tanzania, na chachu ya taifa hili kubwa)

Today we meet at this historic place to hear from you and talk with you about the future you want for yourselves and for your country. The opportunities for your future have been forged in many ways by the dreams of those that came before you. This is why museums are such special places because they help us understand, and learn from the visions of the past.

Do you all know Mwalimu Nyerere? You may know him as Babu  Nyerere. He was once a small boy too who had a dream. He had a vision. And today we remember him as the Father of the Nation because he believed in that vision and realised his dreams for good.

Have any of you heard of Bibi Titi Mohamed? She was a Tanzanian feminist and a major leader of the Tanganyika nationalist movement. She was also Minister of Women and Social Affairs in the 1960’s. Her story probably started with a dream too and today we remember her as Tanzania’s heroine.

And so today, my colleagues and I would like to share this space with you and encourage you to talk about your dreams and how we, as grown-ups, can help you achieve them. We, the grown-ups in here, have our dreams and ambitions too and we would like to share our experience with you. This is not to tell you that you have to follow our path, but simply guide you towards achieving your own goals. We want to tell you to not worry about making decisions. We want to encourage you to never be afraid to turn left instead of always right. My Father climbed mountains as a hobby. He used to tell me that I could climb half way up a hill and come back and say that I have had a nice walk. But he would encourage me at the same time to always want to get to the top of the mountain. Not only to experience the sense of achievement and maybe the sense of triumph of having overcome difficulty, but, more importantly, to experience the deep sense of joy at discovering the view from the top and what lies beyond.

My own Son William, of whom I am deeply proud, had a dream when he was 7 years old. If any of you know the game of rugby, England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. It was won by a man called Johnny Wilkinson who kicked the winning score in the closing seconds of the Final. Inspired by Johnny’s own dedication and commitment to the sport, my Son vowed that day that he too wanted to play for England. Today, aged 21, he plays Rugby professionally in the Premiership. He has played for England already and he too is a World Champion. He has been picked for the England Training Squad for next year’s World Cup in Japan. He may or may not play, we’ll see, but I tell you this because it is personal experience of how dreams can be realised.  

We care about you and we would like to see you realise your best potentials. Caring for children means building the future. All adults share this duty: I and all of us who are grown-ups in here.

The European Union, which is the institution I work for, does its best to protect the rights of children in all its work all over the world. Here in Tanzania, we work hand in hand with the government and with partners like Plan International and Save the Children to end violence against children. For instance: making sure that no girl undergoes FGM, to stop child marriage and ensure children are protected from harmful practices and violence. (Umoja wa Ulaya –EU tunawapenda sana na kuwathamini watoto wote na tutaendelea kushirikiana na Serikali ya Tanzania, na wadau wote, kuwahakikishia haki zenu zinalindwa wakati wote. )

It is your right to be protected and to help other children also stay safe. I am happy to see Mama Mary Nzuki here today and I am sure she will talk to you about the importance of your safety and how you can keep yourself and others safe too.

I hope you will have time to reflect on your future and be motivated to be the best citizens for Tanzania. Along your life path, I would also like you to consider what you can do to contribute to continue making this country great and to help your country fulfil its dreams, starting today. I thank my colleagues from the Swedish Embassy, Save the Children, Children’s Dignity Forum, C-Sema, Plan International and Femina Hip for organizing this space with us and have the chance to listen to you today. I also thank our panel today for taking their time to join us and share their amazing stories with you: to inspire you, motivate you, guide you and listen to you because we all care about you.

Children are the greatest legacy and treasure a country can have. You matter, your dreams matter to us and I hope you will leave here today with that in mind.

There’s an old phrase that says that “yesterday was history and tomorrow is a mystery. But today, today is a gift which is why they call it the present”. Your dream today, is the future of every society and the history of your daughters and sons.

Kumbukeni Ndoto Yangu Maisha yangu! Nawatakia siku njema! Asanteni sana!