Yes­ter­day, I was for­tu­nate to find myself in Thai­land dur­ing their annu­al cel­e­bra­tion of Children’s Day, marked on the sec­ond Sat­ur­day of Jan­u­ary. The streets and insti­tu­tions were abuzz with joy and pur­pose as chil­dren took cen­ter stage in an inspir­ing dis­play of nation­al uni­ty. Gov­ern­ment offices wel­comed young vis­i­tors with sym­bol­ic activ­i­ties includ­ing allow­ing them to sit on the prime min­is­ters seat, while muse­ums and cul­tur­al cen­ters host­ed engag­ing events such as sci­ence exhi­bi­tions and hands-on art projects designed to spark curios­i­ty and build con­fi­dence. Wit­ness­ing Thailand’s ded­i­ca­tion to its youth left me deeply reflec­tive about the lessons Kenya can learn.

Thailand’s Children’s Day is not just a fes­tiv­i­ty but an invest­ment in the nation’s future. Insti­tu­tions open their doors to chil­dren, offer­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties to learn and envi­sion their roles in soci­ety. This year’s mot­to, “Every oppor­tu­ni­ty is a learn­ing expe­ri­ence; be ready to adapt to the future of your own choice,” exem­pli­fies the country’s belief in shap­ing young minds for great­ness. Imag­ine what Kenya could achieve with a sim­i­lar approach to cel­e­brat­ing and empow­er­ing its children.

A nation that cel­e­brates its chil­dren builds a foun­da­tion for a pros­per­ous future. Chil­dren embody tomorrow’s promise, and the val­ues instilled in them today will shape their des­tiny and the nation’s. Thailand’s “mon­key see, mon­key do” anal­o­gy high­lights that chil­dren emu­late adult behav­ior. If we demon­strate respon­si­bil­i­ty, resilience, and fore­sight, our chil­dren will adopt these traits. Kenya’s com­mem­o­ra­tion of the Day of the African Child often feels like a for­mal­i­ty rather than a trans­for­ma­tive event. It is time to reimag­ine how we cel­e­brate and nur­ture our children.

If I were Pres­i­dent, I would advo­cate for a ded­i­cat­ed nation­al Children’s Day in Kenya. This day would go beyond cel­e­bra­tion to empha­size action — fos­ter­ing self-aware­ness, resilience, and for­ward-think­ing. Train­ing pro­grams, men­tor­ship ses­sions, and hands-on activ­i­ties should dom­i­nate the agen­da, instill­ing in chil­dren the belief that they are archi­tects of their des­tiny. Adults must also lead by exam­ple, shap­ing a cul­ture of respon­si­bil­i­ty and service.

First­ly, the day should empha­size col­lec­tive action and self­less­ness. Com­mu­ni­ty projects such as tree grow­ing, clean­ing pub­lic spaces, and help­ing the less for­tu­nate would teach chil­dren the val­ue of con­tribut­ing to soci­ety. Inspired by “Plant Your Age Day,” where indi­vid­u­als plant trees match­ing their age, such ini­tia­tives could pro­mote a cul­ture of giv­ing back. These activ­i­ties counter the “me-me-me” cul­ture and fos­ter gen­er­a­tional con­nec­tions through shared goals.

Sec­ond­ly, Children’s Day should be a plat­form for teach­ing resilience and adapt­abil­i­ty. In a rapid­ly chang­ing world, equip­ping chil­dren with the abil­i­ty to face chal­lenges and embrace new oppor­tu­ni­ties is crit­i­cal. Activ­i­ties such as prob­lem-solv­ing work­shops, cre­ative think­ing exer­cis­es, and sim­u­lat­ed real-life sce­nar­ios could help chil­dren devel­op con­fi­dence and flex­i­bil­i­ty. By fos­ter­ing these qual­i­ties, we pre­pare them to nav­i­gate uncer­tain­ties and con­tribute mean­ing­ful­ly to a dynam­ic society.

Third­ly, the day should rede­fine how we view chil­dren — not mere­ly as depen­dents but as con­trib­u­tors to nation­al devel­op­ment. Kenya’s pop­u­la­tion is youth­ful, with over 40% under the age of 15, accord­ing to the World Bank. Lit­er­a­cy rates among Kenyan youth stand at approx­i­mate­ly 85%, yet chal­lenges in equi­table access to edu­ca­tion per­sist. By address­ing these bar­ri­ers, Kenya can unlock its immense poten­tial. A well-planned Children’s Day could cat­alyze this by fos­ter­ing crit­i­cal think­ing, inno­va­tion, and civic engage­ment from an ear­ly age. Every action today shapes tomorrow’s nation — from speak­ing and think­ing to plan­ning and executing.

Children’s Day is not a birth­day, it is a pro­found call to shift from a cul­ture of self-indul­gence to one of col­lec­tive pur­pose. Since Kenya cur­rent­ly lacks a ded­i­cat­ed Children’s Day, let every par­ent trans­form their children’s birth­days into oppor­tu­ni­ties to embrace this new spir­it — instill­ing self-aware­ness, resilience, and the val­ue of giv­ing. Through this shift, we can begin chang­ing the “me-me-me” cul­ture and nur­ture a gen­er­a­tion that pri­or­i­tizes col­lec­tive growth. The future of Kenya depends on what we plant in the hearts and minds of our chil­dren today. Think green, act green!