The Prime Minister Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has cautioned children against drug abuse adding they should stand up and fight for their dignity.
He was addressing the 8th annual National Children’s Summit under the theme “The role of Children in attaining their dignity.”
The Summit brought together about 416 children one per sector plus the 30 presidents of the children forum of each district, 30 representing children living with disabilities at district and 6 representing children living in refugee-camps in Rwanda.
“Let me congratulate the representatives of children; you have competed for your position like MPs compete. Competing from the village level to the National level it shows that these children are special.” Habumuremyi said.
He added that President Kagame has sent a lovely message to children pledging that his government will continue to provide quality education that will help them to become best future leaders.
“The youth that we have today, if they fight for the dignity the whole Rwanda will have the dignity it deserves” Premier noted that a child who has been trapped in drug use cannot have values and that ends up with losing the dignity.
“If we talk about drug abuse, there are typical examples of how drugs affect the lives of People. Some brilliant children may lose opportunities to continue their education due to drug use.”
“Even in schools, students are using them, we want you to go and help us to look for a sustainable solution to the existing problem.” PM asked children representatives to always inform on where there are people who serve beer to children so that they can be punished.
“I take this opportunity to ask all institutions whether Government or private to help us address this challenge. We have a very serious problem that children start to drinking beer when still young.
If you start drinking you are destroying your life, Either Parents or bar owners should be punished if they are caught in act of serving beer to less than 18 years old.” He stressed.
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