By Loretta B Manele

According to one of the children who spoke at the International Children’s Day event in Honiara, children are our future.

Lisa Cuatt, the country director for Save the Children, Solomon Islands shared this whilst speaking at the first ever “Children’s high-level dialogue” at the Paul Tovua Complex building yesterday.

She expressed that the child said we always talk about children being our future, a point Cuatt agreed to.

Cuatt added that this child also said something she thought is very wise which was that we all must think about children in the present.

In this regard, she stressed that what we need to do now is to set the foundations for the future.

“So, what can we as adults do to ensure our children have a healthy start to life, have access to a good education, and to make sure children feel safe and protected in their homes, in their schools, in their communities and online”

Cuatt thinks a very important first step for adults to take is to listen which she also refers to as the “starting point”.

“To listen to what children have to say about the things that make them happy and the things that they are concerned about.

Hearing what children have to say is included in Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the child’s right to be heard”

Cuatt voiced that we often think of children as not understanding things or being vulnerable however, children do need the support, care and guidance of adults.

“It is equally important to recognise that children have capabilities, children have strength and they have a unique perspective on the world”