Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged parents to take advantage of the Universal Primary Education to educate their children, saying that education is the greatest gift a child can get.

Museveni made the call on Thursday in his written speech on the occasion to mark the Day of the African Child in Kampala, which is commemorated annually by African countries on June 16 in memory of the children in Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa who were brutally massacred by the then apartheid regime on June 16, 1976.

Museveni's speech was read by Minister for Education and Sports Namirembe Bitamazire.

The president pointed out that since children are the future of the country, parents must invest in them.

He said that education and health are priority areas that need support in the development of children so that they can become resourceful.

He challenged parents to be faithful as examples to their children so as to reduce the AIDS scourge, which remains the biggest challenge depriving children of their rights.

The president also launched the yellow ribbon, a symbol for solidarity and support for children, orphans and vulnerable children policy as well as a five-year National Strategic Program Plan.

The aim of the National Strategic Program Plan is to address the rapidly increasing number of orphans in the east African country.

The theme of this year's celebration is under "African orphans, our collective responsibility." According to statistics released here, there are close to 2.3 million orphans in Uganda.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2005)