We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in Blog Day 2011. We are very grateful that you blogged or tweeted your support for the Prevent Abuse of Children Today (PACT) campaign and have helped spread the message to others. We have enjoyed reading all your posts and unique responses to:  ‘Every child has the right to happiness’.

Here are the links to the blog posts of everyone who kindly took part:

Akin Akintayo                                                               Carmel Thomas

Sylva Ifedigbo – Daily Times                                      Philippa Whiteside

Roman Vitelli                                                                Okey Egboluche

Graham Wynne                                                            Colin Macarthur

Perry Bulwer                                                                 Voiceoftheaccused

Baroness Mary T. Goudie                                              Jonathan Gamez

Here are some of our favourite bits from posts that were emailed to us from those who wanted to take part but did not have their own blog:

A short story from our friend Gabriel:

THE LITTLE EXILE

‘…the park was our playground; the stone walls our refuge.’

‘The man smiled and made Linda give me the box of chocolates. We surrounded Linda asking her questions as we munched the chocolates, I made sure everyone got a taste. When they had finished the long discussion with the matron, I was called upon to go get my belongings. I quickly rushed straight to my bunk with glee, dragged out my green and yellow streaked wrapper from the flat mattress and rushed back to meet them. It was since that day, I became Dingane Thwala; Linda’s adopted brother’

Monica Eze/ Grace Kalu of Life Foundation for Women and Children:

MY CHILDHOOD HAPPY MEMORY

‘…Looking from the high table area, I saw children from less privileged families that were running around various cultural groups and masquerades entertaining the audiences. Seeing how free they are sharing laughter and jokes; I asked my parents if I can join them. Without much ado and despite my expensive dress; they agreed and set me free to play with people I don’t even know about. And by interacting with them and getting to know their background, I realized the two worlds that exist in every society. And that is the life of affluence people and that of the poor people. In fact, the life poor and oppressed became more pronounced or self explanatory to me when my father died in 1990 and my mother were left to cater for me and my siblings all alone. And it was as a result of what we experienced that made me to vow not to see or watch any child suffer abuse, deprivation, alienation or suffer other degradations.

Every child deserves the best a society can offer. They deserve good education, protection from abuse, decent living, clean environment and healthy association.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid spiritual foundation. Your challenge is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.’

Written By: Grace Kalu of Life Foundation for Women and Children. 

If anyone else blogged for our Blog Day please email us at acintern@steppingstonesnigeria.org as we would love to include your link on this post.