“We are meant to go to school, play with friends, and dream big. Our hands should be holding books and pens, not guns. I raise my red hand today to say no more child soldiers. Let every child live in peace and safety.”
With calm determination, Gracia Primary School student Elizabeth Simon delivered a poem that resonated deeply with those listening.
And there were many.
A roundtable event commemorating Red Hand Day was packed with people coming together to hear young people advocating for their own and other children’s futures.
One by one, young performers stepped forward and raised their voices through poetry and speeches. Their palms were painted red, a striking symbol of both the bloodshed children have endured.
Before them sat military and police commanders, representatives from different communities and local organizations as well as members of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and partners that organized the event.
“Today is an opportunity for all of us to reaffirm our collective commitment to ensure no child in Western Equatoria State is recruited, used, or associated with armed groups. To give the floor to those affected by these violations,” explained Rita Bampo, UNMISS Child Protection Officer.
And they were ready to be heard.
“Do not use us to fight your wars. We are children, not soldiers,” recited student, Blessing Raja Lino. “Give us books, not bullets. Classrooms, not camps. Our hands are meant to build the nation, not destroy it.”
Her words were echoed by fellow students raising their painted palms in a gesture demanding accountability and change.
Uniformed participants were particularly moved by the performances, including Major General Bior Kuir Deng, Deputy Commander of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces in Western Equatoria:
“We have heard you. This day is reminder that children belong in schools and communities, not in armed groups and forces. We acknowledge that past conflict has negatively affected you by exposing you to violence, trauma, and loss of opportunity. Today, we reaffirm our strong commitment to ensuring that no child is recruited, used, or associated with armed forces or armed groups under any circumstance.”
Together, students, commanders, government officials, and community members pressed their red-painted hands onto a large banner serving as a symbol of unity and collective responsibility to protect children.
As the children stepped down from the stage, their poems lingered in the air. Honest, courageous, and impossible to ignore – the hands of children are meant for learning, and shaping their future, not for war.
By Okot Emmanuel
