Let's shield our children from harm

Two quite unrelated pieces of information caught my attention and gripped my heart this past week. One was from mainstream media, the other from the usual forwards on WhatsApp. The social media item was a graphic piece entitled, “Letter from a death row inmate,” that appeared like a newspaper cutting, complete with a photograph. In it, the man awaiting execution, wrote out his last wish in a letter that he gave to the prison guard, to be handed over to his mother.

He wrote, “Mother, if there was more justice in this world, we would be both executed and not just me. You’re as guilty as I am for the life I led.” He then went ahead to explain how his mother had failed to discipline him whenever he engaged in unbecoming behaviour. She even colluded with him on several occasions when he brought home stolen property. The result: he was now a malformed man, awaiting execution for his delinquent lifestyle.

For parents who have come across this piece, you have to be hardhearted not to be moved – I was. But as is my practice, I tried to ascertain its authenticity. It turned out to be a prank that was first published as a status update in 2015 by a Facebook user. The picture associated with the story was equally fake and belonged to a convict who however was not on death row.

But, the prank aside, the reason this story tugged at my heart is because it reflects the unfortunate state of affairs within families today, where children hold sway and parents play ball. The age-old injunction seems to have been revised to read: Parents, obey your children so that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. Parents therefore go out of their way to please their children, granting all their demands and desires. The consequence is available for all to see.

In the mainstream media piece, there was a report that appeared to repeat the previously published findings of a “research” in which teenagers were reported to “unanimously” demand contraceptives and other forms of reproductive health measures (read abortion).

What concerned me in this piece is the apparent unrelenting resolve by the advocates for the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to see it implemented in our schools. The slant of the story and the use of data, appear to be well-calculated to stir our emotions and prick our conscience to endorse CSE. Combine that with the apparent failure of our parents, as reflected in the WhatsApp story – and validated in real life – and you can see why my head was in a spin.

It is in this regard, therefore, that I found the announcement by the Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i that the government is to appoint chaplains for all secondary schools to be truly apt. Though, as he rightfully pointed out, the duty of raising morally-upright and socially stable children lies with parents, we nonetheless cannot bury our heads in the sand as our future hurtles into jeopardy. When several years ago, Australia found itself where we seem to be today, they took the chaplaincy route as a measure to restore the sanity of their children in schools.

Emotional support

Several years later, in an independent review study, 82 per cent indicated that the social and emotional support provided by school chaplains had a considerable positive impact on the students; while 83 per cent indicated that school chaplains helped to build up students’ confidence to a considerable extent. It thus follows that, before our children actually write us accusing letters from death rows; and before groups with hidden agenda capture the souls of our children, we must take proactive measures to shield and to salvage them. Chaplaincy is one very positive way to go.

- The writer is the Presiding Bishop of Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM). [email protected]