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Published On: Thu, Jan 11th, 2018

Unicef sends child protection expert

Unicef logoPHILIPSBURG – Unicef Netherlands will make a child protection specialist and an education specialist available to St. Maarten for a period of six months, Minister Silveria Jacobs (education) said at Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing.

The Unicef Netherlands representative Latoya Charles returned to the island on Wednesday for a follow up to Unicef’s recovery support in education and child support.

“Charles helped the ministry to identify areas where Unicef would be able to assist,” the minister said.

Student Support Services, the Youth Department and the Court of Guardianship will coordinate activities with key stakeholders.

A second project is the Unicef Children’s Rights Festival. This is a large event in the Netherlands “where children learn about their rights in a playful way,’ Jacobs said.

Unicef organizes similar festivals all over the world. For instance, in 2014 6,000 children and adults in Croatia participated in the inclusive screening of films about children’s rights.

Something similar is now going to happen in the Netherlands, with participation of children from all six islands of the former Netherlands Antilles.

Children in St. Maarten will prepare films about children’s rights. The winner will enter into a competition in Curacao, from April 13 to 16. The three best films from that festival will enter into a competition at the Rotterdam Film Festival where eventually a winner will be crowned.

The event focuses on children aged 9 to 13.