Dr Kasan Troupe, acting CEO in the Ministry of Education, is imploring citizens to take action to protect children in their communities and to create safe environments for their growth and development.

She made the call on Sunday (May 7) during the annual Kingston and St.Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) wreath-laying ceremony at the Secret Gardens in downtown Kingston.

The event was in memory of children who have died under violent and tragic circumstances.

Troupe said that society must never forget those children who have passed away due to violence and must pledge to ensure that “we don’t have a repeat of this kind of situation. I call out to those persons to remember your children, remember your country. We are calling on Jamaicans to take action”.

She said that the ministry is playing its part in ensuring that children can reach their full potential.

“We are committed to making sure that our children experience the excellence that they were created for, so we continue to make sure that they are educated and at the end of it, they contribute to their social and economic transformation,” she said.

Junior Mayor of Kingston, Khijani Williams, noted that the adult population has a responsibility to create safe environments for children.

He condemned those who “are disrupting our future through acts of violence”.

The wreath-laying ceremony was part of activities for Child Month, under the theme ‘Children Need Our Love and Protection… Get Involved’.

The Ministry of Education and Youth, along with its agencies, are coordinating and staging several activities during the month.

Among these is observing 31 Days of the Rights of the Child, which involves publishing the rights that fall under the broad headings of Protection, Provision and Participation.

This is being done via flyers and/or videos and is also being shared every day during the month of May on the Ministry’s social media pages.