27 Sep
They Know No Childhood
Though I do not have children, nor consciously plan to have any, I am deeply concerned about the plight of children in parts of the world suffering from abuse, hunger, slavery and exploitation.
In the time you take to read this post, there would have been dozens of children around the world who would suffer all forms of abuse at the hands of people whom they thought loved them, and whom they had the utmost respect for.
And it all becomes a vicious cycle — research and studies have shown that children who have suffered one form of abuse or another are more likely to abuse both their own and other children when they themselves become adults.
About the most heinous form of abuse would be sexual abuse, because in as much as 90% of reported cases involving sexual abuse, the perpetrators are people that the child knows, trusts and respects.
Then there’s child labor and exploitation, where children in poor countries are lured, forcefully taken or worse, sold into all forms of slavery and into prostitution. Some are even taken away to far-flung places thousands of miles away from their homelands by human traffickers.
Yet many of us who should consider ourselves fortunate to be where we are today are not aware, or too apathetic to notice that we can help!
All it takes is just a dollar or two a day, and you will be helping to provide a child with his or her school fees, books, milk powder, food, and other essentials. You will also be helping to ensure that the child receives an education and has the potential to make the world a better place in future.
To borrow a cliche, children are indeed the future. What we choose to ignore or do something about today will greatly affect the future. And if we indeed wish to leave a better world to the next generation, we need to start caring now.
Here are some organizations that are able to use your donations to help break the poverty cycle, end abuse and ensure that these children under their care have a childhood (I am in no way affiliated to any of the organizations listed):
- Udavum Karangal (Helping Hands)
- Room To Read
- World Vision
Posted by Carol on 27.09.07 at 14:21
This is indeed a very sad, and serious subject!! We should do all we can help these little ones. And just think, there’s probably a lot of cases not even reported. These precious children are probably afraid to tell anyone or if they do, they may not be believed. Children are easy prey for all manner of abuse and we need to pray diligently about this and do what we can here and now.
I think the laws need to be changed about what constitutes a fit parent. I know of a child of a divorced family who is with the mother and their house is filthy, smelly, crawling with insects and bugs, clothes everywhere so that you cannot see the floor, pop tarts and coke in the fridge and that’s it…and she is deemed fit to care for her son in that environment! Her house can cause sickness and disease and her child is malnourished. Meanwhile the husband is remarried, has a good job, stable, and lives in a clean environment and he’s lucky if he can visit. The courts favor the mother automatically and I don’t think that’s right. I know of several stories like that actually.
My husband’s ex-wife is using her kids to gain monetary support - she invents illnesses and unfortunately in today’s climate, their childish behaviors can be deemed as such but there’s nothing wrong with them. So she keeps them heavily medicated, and keeps collecting monies from the state. Her lawyer even said she is the cause of her children’s problems yet she has them. So there are a couple of crimes going on there.
Posted by Sicarii on 27.09.07 at 14:21
Dear Carol:
Unfortunately, we cannot legislate what a fit parent is in my opinion. For though it might actually be possible for these guidelines to be written into law, it will be almost impossible to enforce.
What people need to realize is that having children is, first and foremost, a blessing, and a big responsibility that they must be ready to take up.
Without understanding that children are a gift of God’s, it will be difficult to comprehend and put into practice proper care and giving one’s children the right upbringing.
Though my wife and I don’t consciously plan to have children, but if God should bless us one day with one, I am very adamant that he or she be brought up well grounded in Christian principles.
If it were a boy, he shall be called Joshua. And if it were a girl, Rachel — both Biblical names.
Posted by Carol on 27.09.07 at 14:21
They’ve started to legislate it already - you cannot spank your child anymore. If you do, they take your child from you. They’ve already stuck their noses in but they only enforce what they want to. Even if a child lies about you (out of anger because you wouldn’t let them watch tv), you’ll be investigated. It’s just another way to break down the family unit. And I think the alienation of fathers (wrongfully) is another way to do it. Have you seen the Barna stats on children raised without fathers? Very grim results.
Posted by Sicarii on 27.09.07 at 14:21
That’s legislation meant to take away the basic building block of society — the family.
I really wonder what the world is coming to, seriously. When I look at all the “protection” for kids they put in place against parents, it is of little wonder that some parents are at a loss as to how they can discipline their children!
Recently I watched Jay Leno and he was commenting on the law in some State that they will throw parents into jail if their children miss school for a certain period of time.
I agree with Leno that what that does is just send the children who have been playing truant into happy hours without their parents.
Ridiculous!