Trusting their dreams: How GFC Invests in African Children’s Leadership
Each year, on June 16th, the International Day of the African Child, we commemorate the historic Uprising of Soweto’s children in South Africa in 1976. On that day, thousands of black schoolchildren courageously rose up against the apartheid government’s policy of mandating Afrikaans—a language of their oppressors—as a compulsory medium of instruction in schools. What began as a peaceful protest became a tragic confrontation as police opened fire on the young demonstrators, leading to the death and injury of many children. Though their lives were taken, their courage showcased the power of children-led advocacy.
