North Macedonia President Walks 11-Year-Old Girl With Down Syndrome To School Following Bullying Incident (Photos)
President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski has recently extended an arm of kindness to an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome, who was being bullied in school.
After President Pendarovski hearing that 11-year-old Embla Ademi, who lives in Gostivar, was facing discrimination at her school, Edinstvo, he visited the child and her parents to lend his support. He also visited bearing gifts for Embla.
The president spoke to the girl’s family to understand the day-to-day challenges they face, including bullying, and encouraged them “in their fight for the protection of the rights of children.”
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The President not only visited the family of the girl, but also walked Embla to her primary school, thus sending a powerful message to the parents of children in her class who had protested her presence in the class.
“Embla’s case reminds us of the prejudices we live with and the need for greater protection and care for children with disabilities,” Macedonian President also wrote while sharing a video of their meeting on Instagram.
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During the visit, Pendarovski said;
We are all equal in this society. I came to give my support and to raise awareness that inclusion is a basic principle.
The president’s office in a press release said;
The President said that the behavior of those who endanger children’s rights is unacceptable, especially when it comes to children with atypical development.
Pendarovski also stressed the importance of complying with the legal provisions of inclusion in educational institutions, emphasising on social responsibility.
Underlining that no child should be left behind, the President asserted that children with special needs should not only enjoy the rights they deserve, but also feel equal and welcome in their places of learning.
Pendarovski was quoted as saying;
It is our obligation, as a state, but also as individuals, and the key element in this common mission is empathy. It will help children like Embla, but it will also help us learn from them how to sincerely rejoice, share and be in solidarity,
“Prejudices in that context are the main obstacle to building an equal and just society for all,” President Pendarovski said while talking to the local press.
As the photos and videos of the President with the little girl went viral across social media sites, it garnered lots of praise from all quarters.
