Three young Southsiders praised by Taoiseach as they engage in Child Talks event

Three young Southsiders took to the virtual stage last Friday, November 20, as participants in the third annual Child Talks event.

Child Talks, which is organised by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) to mark World Children’s Day, is a Ted Talks style event that aims to elevate the voices of children and young people and provide a unique platform for them to share their stories and vision.

An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, joined speakers from across Ireland aged 8 to 18 years as they took to the virtual stage to cover a range of topics including mental health, individuality at school, the environment, living with autism, homelessness, youth activism and cultural identity.

Child Talks 2020 was broadcast on RTE News Now and can be watched back the OCO website https www.oco.ie

The three Dublin participants included sisters Maria (16) and Afaf (13) Syed from Sandyford who shared their story about the volunteer work they undertake with their Mother at the charity the Muslim Sisters of Eire.

Every Friday they work in a kitchen to prepare hot meals and prepacked food to share with the homeless and those in need on the streets of Dublin.

Katherine Amusan (15) who is from Tallaght, talked about how she struggled to embrace her Nigerian culture while also wanting to ‘fit in’ with everyone else.

Her perspective changes after a memorable trip to Nigeria where she experiences the power and pride of this culture. Katherine returns home determined to find out more about her roots and to share this passion with her school friends.

In a special message to the participants and the young viewers across the country An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “The stories and experiences of the participants of Child Talks 2020 illustrate how children and young people are often leaders in times of change and challenge.

“I appreciate how difficult the past few months have been for young people, how much they have missed out on, and I understand that they are worried about their families and friends. I also know how resilient and strong young people are and how supportive they are of each other.

“Be proud of all the things you have already achieved, bring the learnings and experiences of the last eight months with you into the future, and make your family, your society and the world a better place.”

Due to Covid-19 restrictions Child Talks, which normally takes place as a live event, was moved entirely on-line. Each of the speakers and the hosts, under the guidance of the OCO Child Talks team, recorded their story from their own homes all over Ireland.

Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth said:  “I wish to congratulate all the participants who I know went to a huge effort to create the programme. World Children’s Day is an opportunity for us to advocate, celebrate and promote children’s rights it is therefore truly inspiring to see how these children and young people are so capable of advocating for themselves, their families and their communities.”