Day of the African Child (DAC) 2026

Day of the African Child, celebrated every June 16th since 1991, honors the Soweto students who, in 1976, mobilized to defend their right to quality education and to teaching that respected their linguistic realities.

Nearly fifty years later, that fight still resonates: in Senegal, the Harmonized Bilingual Education Model in Senegal (MOHEBS in french) carries forward this same demand by placing national languages at the heart of learning, so that every child can learn in an environment that understands them, values them, and supports their success.

Education remains a major challenge: according to UNESCO, 273 million children and young people were out of school worldwide in 2024. This figure reminds us of the urgency of continuing to work toward a more inclusive, more accessible school that is closer to children’s realities.

To support this momentum and strengthen community ownership, Speak Up Africa, alongside Social Change Factory, set up the MOHEBS Champions program in support of the Ministry of National Education.

Through this initiative, 32 committed young people from several regions of Senegal are mobilizing to raise community awareness, engage decision-makers, promote a better understanding of MOHEBS, and contribute to discussions on the future of education in our country.

We are convinced that quality education begins when every child feels heard, valued, and capable of succeeding.

Across Senegal, we are committed to promoting education, raising awareness in our communities, strengthening understanding of MOHEBS, and supporting resource mobilization efforts for this model, so that more children can learn in an environment that reflects who they are and supports their growth.

Today, we celebrate children, their dreams, their potential, and their right to a better future.

Because Africa’s future is being built today, with its children.

Statement by the 32 MOHEBS Champions on the occasion of African Child Day 2026