Two children from the Musina Local Municipality are representing South Africa in the Global Children’s Panel in London.

Dominic Nkwana (15), a Grade 8 learner at Musina High School, and Polite Singo (12) who is in Grade 6 at Makushu Primary School, jetted off to London over the weekend.

The initiative is the brainchild of an organization called Save the Children UK, whose offices are based in London. The organization fights for the rights of the children and it has offices worldwide. Fifteen children from different countries, including China, England, Mongolia, Liberia, Brazil and Bangladesh, will share ideas on their experiences from their countries. The Global Children’s Panel is like a ‘parliament’ wherein children will be encouraged to participate in the decision-making on issues that affect them directly. The ages of the children who will take part range from 12 to 15.

The official programme started on Monday (10 March) and ends today (Friday, 14). The duo from South Africa will rest for a day after the function and they will catch a return flight on Sunday the 16th. They are expected to be back on Monday next week. They are being accompanied by Mr David Mokobi, the personal assistant to the mayor of the Musina Municipality. This is because all the special projects about the children are handled in the mayor’s office.

Shortly before their departure, a visibly exited Dominic said he was very happy to represent his country in London. "This is a dream come true because I never thought that I would one day represent my country abroad. I know that I will come back a changed man and I will use the knowledge to improve the lives of my peers here at home." The same sentiments were echoed by Polite. "Although I am a bit nervous about the flight, I will represent my country well. This shows that the world has changed because we are also allowed to air our views as children. It is going to be a learning curve and an opportunity that must never be missed."

Musina Municipality spokesperson Wilson Dzebu explained how the children were selected: "We have children’s committees and councils in different wards of the municipality. We organize workshops and meetings to encourage them to participate in issues that affect them directly. The children are also encouraged to elect their own leaders in those gatherings. As a municipality, we are very proud to represent South Africa abroad and we strongly believe that the Global Children’s Panel will make an impact on the lives of the children across the world."