In Sierra Leone the Christian Brothers are embarking on a nation-wide birth registration sensitization program in collaboration with Cord-Aid Sierra Leone.
Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that:-
“The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents”
The aim of the program was to educate parents about the importance of their responsibility to ensure that their children are properly registered and to exchange ideas and discuss ways of facilitating the registration process.
According to the program manager Stephen Borbo, even though the government of Sierra Leone has ensured that the Child Act Bill became law, much has still not been done on sensitizing the public on the content of the Act.
He maintained that birth registration was a fundamental right of every child without which there can be no nationality or status – a key to other rights. Not having a birth certificate impacted negatively on such things as school admission, legal and judicial rights and the ability to travel.