“Every child is a blessing from God” is the phrase used to cover up our shame from the public when one is pregnant.
As we closing this Youth Month, I think we should reflect more on how broken our youth is. Not just emotionally but financially, mentally and psychologically.
I’ve had a lot of young people telling me that making a child is no longer about being a mother and wanting to have children but it’s often about the money that child brings in. A meal ticket it is. It’s the only way one can get income and support herself and her family.
Sadly, now you look around and we only see children have children and sometimes it’s even the parents encouraging this act. If you look at this from the victim’s point of view, indeed it does makes sense. Chances are, a matric certificate is in display but the problem is the funding and coming from a background where having a chicken for dinner is a miracle, how would one further their study?
This is where the “Child Meal Ticket” comes in, a mother with three daughters and one daughter has two children each [R2,400 is made easily said than done]. Each child gets Unemployment Fund R350 and just like that a monthly bill is covered according to the mother
But the problems lay with the child, all those delayed dreams are starting to be farfetched. Life is starting to be just a mere routine every day, a child to her isn’t a precious thing anymore.
Not many of young people in South Africa resolves issues with drugs when the heat gets hot but many resort to killing themselves. Hence young people are fleeing away like wind.
Please be kind towards young people, there is a lot we are going through. Instead of judgmental, we actually need support from you guys. We are slowly losing the grip of things.
