The day of the African child 2013- “Eliminating harmful social practices and cultures that affect children: Our responsibility.

By Collin Banda

Orgasm, the one word that could describe the feeling that all the villagers had. But for chiedza, it’s a whole different feeling. The echo of his voice, uttering abusive words, immerse her daily into the nightmare that has become her life. The beauty of the world that surrounds her, only manages to emphasize the horror her life is. What once brought joy now engulfs her in pain and misery. a victim, a means to an end, is what he had become. Sold to the highest bidder, to cover a debt, a monthly supply of two bags of maize are all it took for chiedza’s dad to barter trade his daughter, all this colour blocked as  the ultimate gift of love to her family. Emptying herself to marry, not for love, but for love of her family. A forced marriage became her duty, her Godly ordained mission.

        

The pride of being an African child is slowly being eroded. Societies and cultures are slowly killing the African child. Unfair customs and practises have taken root in our day to day lives, something we have to stand up for, and STOP. This years, 23rd Day of the African Child is running under the theme, "Eliminating..." It is shocking to realise how much we are being robbed of our rights and privileges. Some of the leading practises in our African societies and cultures, include; child labour, child trafficking, early child marriages,forced/arranged marriages, labia pulling for girls, discrimination against girl child when it comes to education, preference being given to boys than girls in families, female genital mutilation and discrimination against children with disabilities. It is actually shocking to note the rates at which these are taking place in Africa. Early and forced child marriages are a major concern in Africa. Stats show that 14% of girls in Yemen are married before 15 years of age, 52% before 18 years. In south Sudan, over half the girls between 15-19 are married. Statistics realised by the World Health Organization show that, woman married at a young age are prone to miscarriages and still births, because of under developed pelvis and bodies. 74% of all women who die from child birth are married before 20 years of age. Girls who are forced into marriage at an early age are vulnerable to mental instability, no education, abuse and struggle in adjusting to a new home, as well as the responsibilities that come with marriage and child care. This causes the crisis of child caring for child thus ensuring that both mother and child to suffer and the continuity of the harsh cycle of disadvantage. This fosters a spirit of hatred and insecurity giving birth to a nation filled with hostility an anger. These feeling are the gas on which wars feed.

Solutions of forced marriages

Education- informal education on a bases of voluntary work. Give then hand skills, something to make sure they can get a living from. Lets try and desist from solutions that are money intensive, because right now we don’t have the money.

Government policies-should enforce the importance of children by giving them opportunities to showcase the different skills that they have. They should allow well wishers the opportunity to work in the impoverished communities. They should make a point of giving at least 51% of education grants to the poor and not just on an academic base but on the bases of need.

CHILD LABOUR  in Africa is the employment of children that deprives them of their childhood. Africa has the world’s incidence rate of child labour, with more than 40% or 48 million of children in sub-saharian Africa are forced into child labour for survival. International Labour Organisation estimates that agriculture is the highest employing industry of child labour with most children under paid or not paid.

children ploughing as their family duty       children hired on fishing farms in Burkina Faso

so as to save money their parents

would use to pay hired help

.

Solutions for child labour

Community centre- lets cry and keep children in school for as long as possible. using volunteers who want to give back to society by teaching others. This will make it cost free.

As we should improve our police force, form alliances

Let stop focusing much on the awareness and accept that these things exist. For the past years we have been raising awareness but it hsnt helped that much. Why not focus on the victims. Lets find the cure to these, lets rebuild our community to facilitate the recovery of these victims. Create support groups

It is such a shame that in Africa we are still working with the old saying “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!” but it is unfortunate that we are still trying to prevent a situation that is now beyond prevention. It is time we find the cure because prevention has failed because the disease is now full blown.Yes we have brought these injustices into light and have brought awareness to the world and to the children of Africa but it is now the time to work on the defeating the crisis we have indetifined. it is true that indetification is the first step to solving a problem now its time to take the second step implimenting the solutions we have come up with. For the past 22 Days of Celebrating an awareness campaigns its now the hour on this 23rd Day to act. We do not need to start big we just take it step by step, just like the youth that brought this day into being  in 1976 did not just start by protesting but planed and built towards this day, a day of change and because they took it step by step the managed to create a ripple effect that made people to sit up and take notice,thus we to should build towards the great event. Starting with us the youth. Let us be the change we desire to see. This is our day, our future, our hope, our continent, OUR LIFE! Donot allow the foundation the laid down for us 37 years ago be eroded and lay in waste because we are not Youth enough to fight for what we believe in.

Let not this day be celebrated as a reminder of what happened on the 16 of June 1976, because if that the only reason we celebrate this day then it should not be an International Day but a National Day for South Africans for this was their fight and their achievement, but let this day be celebrated not just as a reminder of the great youth of Soweto but of the great YOUTH of Africa that have continued to make this day worth celebrating with their input on the history and legacy of this Grand Day. In the spirit of the children of Soweto of 1976, stand up and take charge of your life. TAKE THE PEN OUT OF THE HANDS OF OTHERS AND WRITE YOUR DESTINY AND THAT OF YOUR FELLOW YOUTH BY YOURSELF!