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‘Children held a special place in Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s heart’

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Children held a special place in the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s heart. Throughout his life and career, he championed their rights at home and on the international front.

One of his many quotes about little ones says, “Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and expose sham and humbug for what they are.”

The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation has long worked with children. In 2010, the Arch wrote a Bible for children, which was translated into several languages.

Throughout his life, he was committed to protecting young ones, especially the most vulnerable.

“We want to come to a South Sudan and see healthy children playing on the playgrounds of beautiful, well-built schools, (and in which) all its inhabitants are healthy,” Tutu said while visiting South Sudan.

Tutu was loved and respected by children. This is what they had to say about the Arch.

“Archbishop Desmond Tutu helped end apartheid and he won a Nobel Peace Prize. He always stood for the truth and wasn’t afraid to stand up to authority. He fought against apartheid with Nelson Mandela. He was a good man and a great man in South Africa. He was a good person and did a lot of things for human rights and for the land,” said one of the children.

Another child said, “Desmond Tutu was a very good man and loved a lot of people. He also loved a lot of other things. He loved giggling, laughing, kids and telling jokes. And I think he would have liked me because I also like telling jokes.”

Mourners have been visiting the Tutu house to pay their respects:

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