Schools across Belize celebrated Children’s Week starting Monday, November 13th, under the theme “For every child, every right.” Here in San Pedro, children from preschools and primary schools enjoyed week-long fun, culminating on Friday, November 17th, with the island’s largest primary school, San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS), hosting a grand, colorful parade across San Pedro’s main streets.
Throughout the week, children from different schools participated in playtime activities and unique educational presentations by organizations like Hol Chan Marine Reserve. One of the island’s prominent non-profit organizations also treated them to special presentations about some species living in our coastal habitats and how they can protect them. Some activities included Crazy Hair Day, Sports Day, Pajama Day, Friendship Day, and Culture Day.
The theme of Children’s Week was inspired by the November 20, 1989, Convention on the Rights of the Child. Implemented by the United Nations General Assembly, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was a landmark achievement that became the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty. Aimed at protecting children’s rights worldwide, the Convention sets strict standards for individual governments to protect children. In 1990, Belize became the fifth country in the world to ratify. According to the law, all children in Belize have a right to education, health care, water, and sanitation.
According to The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), “Every seven minutes, somewhere in the world, a young person of 10-19 years old dies a violent death while millions of children are physically abused in their homes and at school.” Activities such as Children’s Week remind the community of the importance of carrying and protecting one of the most vulnerable members of the population.
In San Pedro, one organization leading the charge to safeguard the island’s children is Hope Haven Children’s Shelter and Community Center, which opened its doors in 2017 and has been a refuge for children since then.
