First lady Emine Erdoğan underscored the necessity of a collective effort to ensure that children in regions grappling with challenges such as war, hunger and epidemics receive the opportunities they deserve, equal to those of their peers.
In a video message addressed to the 5th High-Level Women Leaders Forum in Burundi, she highlighted this year's summit theme: "Investing in Early Childhood to Build a Strong Human Capital for Lifelong Development." Erdoğan also expressed her optimism that the forum will yield positive results.
She highlighted the importance of addressing early childhood, stating: "These early stages of life concern not only our children but a significant part of a person's mental, emotional, social and physical development is also completed during this period, which actually defines who we will be as adults, the seeds of a strong human model that will be the key to social development are planted in the early stages of childhood."
She pointed out that generations raised with their physical, cognitive and social needs met in a loving and secure environment become productive individuals as adults, ensuring a prosperous future. Erdoğan notes that children who start life with the "wrong buttons fastened" struggle to find the right direction in adulthood.
The first lady also emphasized that global sustainable peace and justice are directly connected to the investments we make in early childhood. "Providing children in regions facing challenges like war, hunger and epidemics with the opportunities they need and equal chances as other children should be a collective effort," she states.
Erdoğan drew attention to the fact that the children of the African continent, with their rapidly growing and dynamic population, are at risk of falling behind in the opportunities offered by modern times, which threatens the shared future of humanity.
She adds: "Statistics show that by 2050, one in four people in the world will be from the African continent; in this respect, you can see that every investment made in Africa's children is actually an investment in the world's common future. It is also valuable that Burundi, which has one of the youngest populations in the region with 2.39 million children aged 0-5, draws attention to this issue.
"As Türkiye, we experience the joy of being actively present on the ground with our humanitarian aid and projects aimed at meeting basic needs such as health, education and shelter for the countries in the region; I believe that every investment we make in Africa's children as the international community will be an important step toward a peaceful and harmonious future."
Emine Erdoğan hopes that the forum will contribute to raising awareness about early childhood across the world, especially in Africa. "When we see the child within every adult and the adult within every child, we better understand this complementary cycle, and I believe we will raise the generations that will build strong tomorrows," she added.
She also expressed her gratitude to her dear friend, Anjelin Ndayishimiye, the first lady of Burundi, for her kind invitation and sent her love and respect to the esteemed first ladies and participants attending the summit.