I boarded a tricycle today while going out today. Few minutes after I was picked up, another passenger boarded the tricycle.
Lo and behold it was a pregnant woman, heavily pregnant and she was with 3toddlers as well. Fine that wasn't really the issue, the issue was that she had to pack all of them on one sit, she carried them on their laps while the other had to stand. Reasons because, she wasn't with enough money to pay for another sit for them, I had to give a helping hand to carry them because of her condition.
Few weeks ago I went to the market, one of the popular weekly market we have here in my state. I saw a heart troubling sight. I saw a woman with her kids(about 5 of them).
They were in the market at a every strategic position begging for money and food. Passerbys kept murmuring that every market day, they stand there to beg for money.
Lastly, I know of a family of 8, the mother and the father and 6kids as well. The last is still breastfeeding. They have no shelter and all other properties are outside. The constructed a kiosk to sleep and night, but during rainy season the whole place is flooded and the get to sleep int the veranda of a neighbour's house. They get food and money from concerned neighbours and philanthropist.
Pathetic, right?
You may ask why I brought up this story, right? I'll tell you why.
I'm a lover of children and I hate to see them cry and feel uncomfortable, both medically and physically. Seeing these few sights has really confirmed my doubt and argument I had with my teacher when he said " it is a crime to bring in new lives to the world when the means of taking care of them is not available".
It is the joy of every couple both newly wed and the old ones to welcome their offspring, no arguments. But bringing them into the world without a tangible means of catering for them and providing their needs is not acceptable. Allowing these kids to suffer and scout for crumbs is a crime. No good clothes, footwear, balanced diet, education, shelter etc. That's why in most developed countries the law agrees that kids that are not well taken care of by their parents are being sent to the foster home where they can have a comfortable life.
These are the reasons why we have foster homes;
These foster parents are trained and equipped to take care of children that their lives at home with their parents are unsafe, uncomfortable or inadequate.
There might also be family violence in the home or a history of neglect or physical abuse and hard labour.
Parents might not have enough funds to cater for the children.
One or both parents might be in jail.
Parents might die and leave children at a very tender age.
How can we save these kids and reduce burdens on parents?
One most effective way is by Family planning method and birth control method.
This has been made very easy for couples by the government. This is their own way of supporting families from producing too many babies they can't cater for.
Family planning and birth control isn't bad. We have ranges and varieties of family planning. We also have different durations for them as well.
A lot of people misunderstand the usefulness of family planning and they end up getting more than they can manage.
Family planning isn't bad but reproducing tons of children with meeting their needs, making them to hawk, beg, serve as housemaids is a crime that one should be jailed for.
If you are not in for family planning stay away from unwanted pregnancies or better still engage other birth control method.
I am not in any way against making babies and reproducing in surplus but consider the economy and the welfare of those kids before you start reproducing.
Source
Reasons are when these children grow into teenage or adulthood they look for a means of livelihood, they indulge in illegal activities, or other hard jobs just to survive. Some of them are dumped in the street in the name of witchcraft. This is really common in the society I live in.
Please let's help curb the situation and cater better for our children, it's still part of healing the world✌