I had an introductory to this topic but let me say this instead, if my elders (great great grand parents and their friends plus relatives) had invested more in their children (my grand parents and my parents plus their friends), I am sure I wouldn’t be here hustling with life.
Why do I say the above? My reasons are related to the #InvestInUgChildren hash tag on twitter that was developed after a report was released regarding the need to invest in Children as businesses.
The report said there was a need for business to Consult children, consider children’s rights and add children related principles in their policies.
So after reading through the above report I came to the conclusion that if my elders had planned well for me, my now which was their future would be a better place, like;
If they had invested in the education of children and mainly the girl child, we would have more women in technology, in business and politics, in all the best positions we are struggling to get in now. As already known a girl child going to school during the 1950 was looked at as a taboo, she was left at home learning to be a good wife and how to look after her home.
Most times there was no money to cater for all the children’s school fees, so the girl child was left behind because parents thoughts that she was not a real member of the family as she was going to be married off to another family. If my elders had looked at children as equal like now, we wouldn’t have the struggles we have now to prove that a girl can do what a boy can do.
Lets look at the development plan for my great city and village Kampala, we have schools demolished to build shopping malls, playgrounds and what would be children parks turned into bar parks and night hang outs because my elders and their friends never planned for children. If they had planned and stated policies like laws in the constitution that children need to enjoy their childhood and have a good education I think we would have more schools than shopping malls in this city.
Those same elders of mine and their friends had the power then to determine the best wage for the people and make biding policies that would be followed by the generations that came after them, but they forgot or even ignored that, and now here we are ranting away about no low wage policies and how employers are underpaying employees.
They also had the right to create young friendly health facilities like health clinics with friendly doctors and not mean and judging doctors plus nurses who act as if they have never been young before, with that we wouldn’t have dialogues like Inter Generational dialogue #IGDUg14 where the youth were asking for youth health friendly services.
We wouldn’t have young children pulled out of school to work on farms and in mines to raise money for the family up pick and their won fees, these children would be protected and their employers arrested. But we have no labour policy or if we do (I have not found it, so I think we don’t have it) it is so weak a policy and can’t protect the children who need it.
My elders had the power to prepare the next generation to adopt to youth and children related policies that promote their rights and freedoms. Like the right to spend enough time with their parents i.e. more than 6 months for a new born baby with its parents before being pulled back to work.
Lastly but not lest, my elders should have invested in sustainable saving schemes, in building business and legacies that I would have carried on than hoping that I will survive on their prayers and my good fortune. Family legacies are a pride and joy for many but most of our elders were planning for then, than the future.
There are many things that my elders failed to do as a plan for me as a child in the future, but as a child in the now I promise to try to plan and make my children’s future a better place for them than the hustle I am on now…
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?!!
“The realization of awareness-raising workshops for children and adolescents is a priority, especially to know their rights in general and also their roles as consumers. This way their voices can be considered and they can advocate positively on the image the business has before consumers. It is also important that these workshops are held not only once, but several times so all people may take part.” – 12 year-old girl in Bangladesh – How Business Affects Us, A Report of Children’s Consultations, Children’s Rights and Business Principles.
