Wednesday, January 14, 2015

For the child

In Africa of today, myriads of intractable problems ravage the society.  They include internal crises, insecurity, child slavery, brain-drain, cultism, rape, hunger, kidnapping, lust, armed robbery, youth restiveness, prostitution, homosexuality, unemployment, corruption, poverty, disease, currency devaluation, inflation etc.  Of all these and other societal malaise, the commonest killers are hunger, poverty and disease.  The African child, to say the least, is the most vulnerable.

The African child becomes a house-boy, maid-servant, slave, armed robber, street beggar, hemp-smoker, prostitute, kidnapper or cultist.  As a matter of fact, hunger has disorganised many  Nigerian homes, families and children. The African child, because of poverty, is deprived of the good things of life namely quality education and medication, good health, security, shelter, among others. Crimes are the ugly dividends and by-products of this deprivation as the African child wants to survive.  The African child wants to be a parent, a home-owner. In fact, he or she wants to belong properly in the society.

Child mortality in Africa is high.  Death in Africa is mostly caused by diseases.  Typhoid, malaria, yellow fever among others are caused by bacteria and water borne diseases.  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the latest of all the death agents besides Ebola Virus Disease.  Poverty, unemployment and hunger have lured many African children into prostitution or child slavery.  Unemployment has prodded many girls into the sex industries.


It is a collective responsibility of all to see that hunger, poverty and disease are eradicated from the society particularly on the side of the African child.

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