My grief as an African!

Growing up as a child, I never imagined a world different form my environment, until I began asking WHY?

“These are signs of end time” they said, really? my dear do you mean the world will soon end while I don’t have clean water to drink? the roads are bad? Children die of starvation? Is it to talk about electricity which long ago became rocket science? Or is it quality education or what?? So the world will end like this and my country will remain in the same conditions, which means someone is logically telling me that the present situation is our destiny. How can you tell me it’s end time meanwhile everyday Europeans and Americans are building nuclear weapons, developing their scientific world, oh MY PEOPLE when did logical thinking become so expensive? I think re-orientation should be the first step to degrade this mental slavery we have, I want to address some important issues that makes my soul shiver.

PARENTING/CHILD LABOUR

Which law guides the AFRICAN (NIGERIAN) child? How do you feel seeing a child 6 years of age hawking under the hot sun, heavy rain and uncomfortable and risky environment? Have we adapted to it that now it becomes “normal”.

There are two stages of livelihood, first is being a child, and secondly is being old which also characterizes going back to childhood, because as an old man/woman you need attention of care just like a child.

The primary duty of parents is to care for their children, lay a foundation so that their children can in turn support them during old age. It’s strange that the reverse is the case in AFRICA/NIGERIA where children have to fend for their parents and for self, by hawking sachet water, snacks e.t.c Childbirth is equivalent to egg hatching by birds, if Barack Obama with three girls and no boy but very comfortable, Bill Gates being the world richest man but with only one GIRL CHILD but comfortable, not trying to get a male child who will inherit his wealth just like the way we do it here..

Why will someone have a child hawking on the street and with the wife pregnant for the next child? What foundation is he laying for that innocent soul? Well the recent answers I have been getting are “CHILDREN ARE GOD’S BLESSINGS” But Europeans know this but have less children.

It’s time for us to grow out of such mentality; it is way too lame an idea than a way of life, but being on a more fairer side, If a man is very rich that he can adequately take care of those children, then it’s logical and manageable, because parenting goes a long way than financial support, attention, love, support, care are the basic part of parenting, Nigerians and Africans at large should rise and fight these illicit, immoral and indecent act.

It takes a heartless parent to allow their children to face such adversity. These abuses are widely spread across the nation but I can’t stop wondering why it’s less spoken off neither addressed. (Don’t ask me if I have children, i also don’t have an aquarium but I know that you cannot feed the fishes with acid).