I suggest that authorities help us to live in harmony and in safer environments

Thursday, October 20, 2016

By Julia Carrión, World Vision Ecuador

Daniela Vergara is 11 years old. She came from the Municipality of Huapicauca in Colombia. She arrived in Ecuador with the aim of getting people to listen to her voice through her proposals for the new urban agenda in the context of the Habitat III conference. She represents her country’s children and she is very happy to be part of this great event, as she herself says...

“I’m happy to have come here. The people here listen to everything I tell them about my people. They ask me lots of questions and I tell them what I’m feeling.”

Among Daniela’s stories, she tells us that right next to her school is a military base and she doesn’t like that...

“my classmates and I are very frightened when soldiers pass through the courtyard of my school all the time. They are always in a hurry and I don’t know why, but it makes us very fearful, especially when bombs explode nearby. The noises they make are very loud, and we can’t study in peace.”

Daniela also says that children in her village assault one another and this is very sad...

“I don’t like it when kids my age fight among themselves. I saw when a street kid wounded another with a knife. That was very sad to see. He was taken to the hospital but we never saw him again, ever. I think we children are at risk; and many children are living on the street.”

Quite sure whereof she spoke, Daniela states what she wants for “The city of their dreams.”

“I suggest that authorities help us to live in harmony and in safer environments. I also propose that military bases be located far away from schools. I propose that larger schools be created, with many green spaces, where children can play. Moreover, the most important thing I am asking for is that there be more respect and solidarity so that we no longer have any more deaths in the world.”

World Vision was commissioned by the UN to manage the Children's Assembly that was held in Quito, Ecuador, last Saturday. The  proposals of children will be considered in the event that ends next Thursday October 20.