Dr. Aishath Ali, Minister of Education, Special Advisor on Social Policy Dr. Musthafa Lutfi, Regional Director of UNICEF to South Asian Region, UNICEF Team, Officials from the Ministry of Education, Principals, those Schools and Principals joining us remotely across the country, and my beloved students here and there.
And I wish you a very very good morning.
It is indeed a great honour and pleasure for me to be here this morning joining you, in the start of this important global initiative that is started by the UNICEF. I think the UNICEF team here and the Ministry of Education and those officials and everyone involved in this programme.
I believe there is no other better time than this to start a programme as such. The whole world is changing. The country is changing. And the voice of the young people, the youth has become more important than ever. And that has become a reason of change. Whether it is related to climate or it is related to developmental agendas, or is related to social issues that the country face. The best time for a person is, in the school. And the easiest way to instil those good habits and things in the minds is while in the school.
Today, as parents and those who are responsible, we should believe that we have a responsibility before everyone else. If we don’t deliver our duties, if we don’t do our, we should be doing, we don’t expect others to do after us. The children come after us.
So I, first of all, call upon all those parents, those officials, and those who are responsible principals, teachers, and everyone involved, those in the community to show good examples. Which is very very important. As
Dr. Abdulla Rasheed has mentioned today, it is a new born baby. Which is very very right. And when we have a new born baby it is very clean, very very clean. And the baby grows up in the community the way we want. How we meant, So let’s believe again that is we make a good child. Or we make a better a child. And that’s what we do. That’s the action of what we do.
Well, my advice to those students joining from here and joining from there is bring forward the critical, analytical and innovative thinking. You have to think about God Almighty have gifted us with a great mind. And we have to use it. And that’s the difference of the human being. If we don’t use the brain, we are not going to be anyone.
So today, I call upon those young leaders here, bring out solutions for the problems that we are facing today. We have issues. We have issues related to climate, we have issues that is related to accidents on the roads, we have issues of drug abuse, we have issues of child abuse, we have issues of child protection, and we have issues that I can count until 6 O’clock this afternoon. So if you come up with ideas, with solutions I’am 100 percent sure it’s going to be a great success.
Whatever we do, the most important thing is the teamwork. We have to have a great team. To be a leader even, we need to work together. I will tell you one example. My voice is gone, because last night we did something not we did something great. What happened was our national women’s volley team, they were behind two sets against the great Singapore. From behind they came and they made it a draw. They took over almost and it was a tireless effort by the team. By the team, not any individual. And you know what was the secret behind. Those nation caring citizens. All around up there clapping and shouting and giving support to the team. This is what we call a team.
So Today, those 95000 students, or those who are taking part in this important programme, I call on all of you, to have your great team. You know good things just never happen I have mentioned the other day. It never happens. It is a result of concerted efforts. It is a result of many many hands that’s working together to reach the common goal. So please students, my beloved students this is the best time of your life. And you know what. There is no other better time, there is no other right time, to do anything that is right. And the time is always right, to do what is right.
So this is today. And think about what is happening in the country. Think about what you can do for the country. Bring out those, research on things. Think about what’s going to happen in the world in another 20 years’ time. Don’t just think about today. Until 6 O’clock in this afternoon. Think about 20 years ahead. Think about 30 years ahead.
This is how the world is working now. The world leaders every day keep on talking good governance. To help each other. To be empathetic to each other. To be kind to each other. To help. To give a hand to another. We can’t live alone. No country can survive alone. This is very time that we always work with another. Work with another class. Work with another school. Work with others. Work with another country. We cannot leave anyone behind. And you know, that is the main policy of this Government. Never leave anyone behind. We have a system that is fully inclusive. Whether it is in the School. Whether it is in any other programmes that the Government organizes. It is always inclusive. For this Government, for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih each and every citizen of this country is very important, is an integral part of the community. And you should know what the community is. A Community is not a 2 person. Not a 3 people. It is a whole bunch of citizens in the country. That works for a common goal.
So my advice to you is please make the best use of this rare chance I would say. Because we don’t have always people coming to us and offering us, gifting us things. No. We will have this kind of things rarely. And a fortune never comes everyday every hour, every minute. It happens just, maybe in a decade maybe in five years or so.
So students, take the best chance of this opportunity. And try to be an important person of this country. Who knows here or there, who is going to be leading the country? Who will be leading the country? Who will be responsible for running the country? We don’t know. I’am 100 percent sure that is going to be one of you or within you. So, please do your best.
Before end, I would like to thank the team at the UNICEF, and also all the UN organizations here in the country. Ministry of Education, Minister Dr. Aishath Ali, who has been giving all her time with her team. And of course the most important is our principals working day and night with the teachers and the parents. We collectively can do everything and impossible will be nothing for us.
Thank you very much.