In 2015, the African Union called for Member States to establish Human Rights and Peace Clubs in schools to imbibe the culture of human rights in school-going pupils as agents of change in the schools and communities.
To enhance the capacity of the seventy-six (76) Human Rights and Peace Clubs established in schools across Sierra Leone, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone with support from UNDP and Irish Aid engaged 175 pupils from 35 schools across the country.
The participants included (78 boys and 52 girls). The engagements took place between the 20th of May to the 11th of June, 2024 in Kono, Kailahun, Bo, Moyamba, Kabala, Kambia, and the Western Rural District respectively.
The HRCSL’s vision to extend human rights outreach campaign to schools and establish Human Rights and Peace Clubs hinged on imbibing human rights culture in pupils and making them ambassadors for human rights in their schools, homes, and communities.
During the engagements, refresher training was provided for members on the Mandate and Functions of the Commission, Human Rights Fundamental and Climate Change, Leadership and Management of Human Rights and Peace Clubs, and Human Rights and Advocacy Skills, among others.
Each school coordinator was given an office box file, containing a compendium of presentations, stationery, and brochures, among others to support the clubs to keep records of their activities.
Pupils identified various human rights issues in their school that they would want to champion advocacy around – clean and safe drinking water, good toilet facilities, drug abuse in schools, sexual harassment, and menstrual hygiene, teenage pregnancy among others.
At their school’s assembly, the Luawa Islamic Secondary School engaged their peers on the ‘Effects of Teenage Pregnancy on Girls.’
The pupils also gave their perspectives on the engagements and what they will do differently in their respective schools to enhance the peace clubs.
Abass B. Daramy, a pupil of Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Kambia said from the presentations, he was able to learn about advocacy skills and how climate change affects human rights.
At the various locations, the Chairperson of HRCSL, Madam Patricia Narsu Ndanema, and Vice Chairman, Victor Idrissa Lansana spoke about the Commission graduating from establishing Human Rights and Peace Clubs to strengthening these clubs to ensure that they go back to their schools and undertake activities that will move the clubs forward.
©HRCSL Communications Team