Report by Mrs. Amina Liaqat, Coordinator SEPLAA Foundation.
In July, the SEPLAA Young Leaders’ Club Co Founder, 8 year old Dina Farooq Malik was the only second child apart from her sister who were invited to the UNICEF Consultative Session on Child Rights Law Review. It was a very important event attended by over 30 very big NGOs in Lahore. Little Dina also gave her suggestions very confidently to all the grown ups from the government and UNICEF!!
The Children’s Voice Blog has reproduced the text of Dina’s speech below:
“Assalao aliakum
Thank you for inviting me to give my suggestions. My name is Dina Farooq Malik and I am the Co-Founder of the SEPLAA Young Leaders’ Club. I am 8 years old.
My suggestion for children in Punjab is that the Punjab government should have skills development and leadership training for children. In our SEPLAA Young Leaders’ Club we have training of all kinds including speaking, writing, learning about how to start a business, how to give back to the community and how to stand out in art and creative activities. It’s much more fun than going to school but I’m still going to school.
It would be so nice if other children can also enjoy such leadership development activities as we do. And even better if the underprivileged children can enjoy too.
I hope these thoughts can be shared with others in the government and UNICEF as well.
Thank you! “