There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. Nelson Mandela.
A 3 year old little girl was abducted and raped. She was lured away from her parents' home last Sunday and was sexually assaulted.
Western Cape police are pleading with parents to always be mindful of where their children are. It was reported that she had been playing in front of her home unsupervised. Eyewitness News reports that the police's Frederick Van Wyk said, “Her mother last saw her after she left her in the care of her father and siblings. At approximately 7pm on Sunday evening, a woman brought the little girl home after they found her crying in a field at a nearby squatter camp.”
It is SO sad that just a few days before this abduction, our country commemorated Human Rights day in memory of the Sharpeville Massacre. How can anyone enjoy their human rights when our children are being abducted and raped on a daily basis. Although the police are doing what they can, as families and communities, we need to step up and take charge.
It is in our hands!
What future do we want?
Vision is the motivation that drives us each and every day no matter what challenges we come across yet illusion is a temporary excitement
The Sunday Times highlighted a shocking study of child murders. In 2009 it was found that:
45.9% of children were murdered in public spaces
34% of children were murdered in the victims home
43% of murdered children were cared for by a single mother
29.8% of murdered children were cared for by both parents
35.5% of children were killed by an acquaintance
30% of children were killed by their mothers
50% of murdered children were the victims of child abuse and neglect
55.9% of children were strangled
30.4% of children were killed with blunt objects
How do we sleep at night knowing that our children are going through this trauma. More often than not its parents, family members and other trusted people who are abusing and killing our children.
What are we doing about this? What is time calling for? what has happened to today’s parents?
Parenting skills are critical. The responsibility starts with the parents. There is no academy for motherhood, so the focus needs to be on the essence of motherhood. We need to go back to morals, ethics and values. Parenting should not only be limited to your own biological children but also to children of the community. The service we render to others is the rent we pay for our room on this earth – Sir Wilfred Grenville.
We mustn’t forget to pay attention to the boy child who will grow up to be a good father if we take time now to raise him properly. Folktales and stories can be utilised to re-weave the moral fibre that is lacking. Faith institutions can come in here to instill faith and to raise consciousness and to inspire healing within. There are many ways and methods of restoring our social fabric – we need to explore multiple ways to bring hope and zest for life to our nation. Radio, TV, print media and social media should be utilised to inform and educate the public on what it means to be a good parent especially about the role of mothers as incubators of life. Going hand in hand with this is teaching young women and men about planned parenthood. For those who can’t help engaging in sexual activities before they are ready to parent there are a myriad of options available to them – we need to get this information out to them.
Teenagers and youth need to be taught about sexual activities and the consequences thereof. The causes of dumping children at birth needs to be investigated and young The children from child headed homes and street children need to be protected as they are easy victims. We would have planted an evergreen seed of hope if we can all put our shoulders to the wheel and discourage incest, prostitution, human trafficking, child labour, rape, murders, abuse, hunger, illiteracy, etc.
The impossibilities of life will always remain impossible until we find the art of turning them into possibilities
Martin Manamela
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