Vice President Lucia Witbooi has returned from Botswana, where she attended the Regional World Children's Day celebration held in Gaborone on 15 November.

The event brought together government representatives and young delegates from several Southern African countries to discuss issues affecting children's rights.

The Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, stated that the gathering provided a platform for children to highlight priority concerns and for governments to respond to issues raised.

"Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, the Kingdom of Lesotho, and the Kingdom of Eswatini, where two children from each country spoke. They raised their concerns and their suggestions. They also appreciated what their governments are doing in addressing and promoting the rise of children. And thereafter, the heads of state or the representatives of the heads of state responded to the concerns and suggestions raised by the children. For instance, you had the opportunity to engage with other leaders from other African countries."

The event also included children with disabilities and those from marginalised communities.

"Some of the challenges were, for example, access to scholarship. Schools still have latrines, poor sanitation, clean water, and violence against children. Schools' challenges were the concerns that were raised by the children themselves from each country. In our case, they mentioned teenage pregnancy and the lagging behind of the boy child. Our response from Namibia: we acknowledged the challenges affecting them, the boy child and the girl child. And then we called on the stakeholders, the parents and the children themselves, the citizens, the religious leaders, and the traditional leaders to protect the children."

The meeting concluded with a call for strengthened regional cooperation and the translation of commitments on children's rights into measurable actions.

Lesotho will host the 2026 Regional World Children's Day celebration.