Children as decision-makers

In a culture where children, rather than being listened to, are told what to do, it is refreshing that the local administration of Pirojpur's Zianagar upazila has decided to pay heed to the recommendations of the area's children and implement their plan for road development. In what is a new and novel approach to development, these children are working on finding solutions to the most pressing needs of the community, through the Child-Centred Climate Change programme, run by United Development Initiative for Programmed Action and supported by Save the Children.

As children, they have a unique insight into the lives and struggles of children in the area, and are often in better positions than adults to identify the issues that need immediate attention. The school-going young participants of this programme, noting the difficulty with which they have to go to school in the rainy season, suggested a comprehensive plan for road development, including raising the height of key road stretches and developing over four kilometres of roadway along five important roads. When completed, the project will benefit 15,000 people in the union.

We applaud the NGO as well as the local administration for taking up this initiative of including young citizens in the decision-making and development processes. We hope that this project is replicated in other areas of the country, such that the voices of children are heard in the development priorities of the communities of which they are an integral part.