The world celebrated International Day of the Girl Child or Day of Girls this week 11th of October and it made me think back with nostalgia to my childhood.
We played outside all day long and grew up on storybooks; television didn’t start until 4pm in the evening so we kept ourselves busy outdoors.
Sisters and brothers, cousins and neighbours’ children;
Games such as hopscotch, “ten ten” a (proudly Nigerian) children’s game, playing catch, flying kites made out of old newspaper and broomsticks, using leftovers from a starchy food known as gari as our glue! And what about the ever present “mummy & daddy” game, with some girl making a meal out of sand.
Those were simple times
Yet even then, back in the day;
There were lots of girls (and some boys too) who were not safe in their own homes.
Unfortunately, in this day and age there are lots of girls who are abused by those who should protect them.
To the many young girls on this planet, keep pushing for what you believe in.
So I want to say a prayer for the girl child in Afghanistan and around the world, whose only crime is being born female.
And a prayer for every young female athlete who has been verbally and sexually abused by those who were supposed to protect them, when all they ever wanted was to bring glory to their countries.
And what about the African girl child who is made to believe she is only good for the kitchen and “the other room” and the size of the dowry she can bring home; yes, I’m praying for them too.
As I write this, a children’s song from my past slips into my mind;
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
All are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
To the many young girls all around this planet like Malala Yousafai and Zuriel Oduwole who believe in education and do not wish to be child brides you have my respect, keep pushing for what you believe in. For Leah Sharibu, the teenage girl with the conviction to stand for her faith, and the Chibok girls still in captivity, you are not forgotten;
To everyone one who gave me a safe childhood, I am grateful:
The vendor selling newspaper on the rail along our school route, who always made space for my elder sister and I to read comics without being disturbed in his stall; thank you for creating a safe place for two young voracious readers, “your girls” are now an accomplished professor and dental surgeon.
To the uncle who would take all of us out to the beach among many other outings, (how we all fit into a Volkswagen beetle, I would never know!) it was such fun with my sisters, many cousins and brother, we were safe in your keeping and I can only thank you.
Little girl, God cares for you, He created you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) and He says you are mine (Isaiah 43:1).
To everyone fighting for a better life for the girl child, great job, yet there are still many hurdles to cross, and for those who desperately want to save the planet, how about starting with the female human capital first?
I’d love to hear from you, so send in your comments or send in an email. Let’s talk!
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See you soon
Abimbola
Hi there to every body, it’s my first pay a quick visit of this website; this blog consists of remarkable and actually excellent material for readers.
This is a very good piece. We all have a responsibility to make the world a better place for children especially the girl child. As a female child, i had female mentors in Church and at School. They shaped my life and destiny. Dr. Bimbo you are one of them. I am so proud of you ma.
Hmmm, well said Bimbo. Thanks for this wonderful piece. May the Lord depend on us as Mothers in particular to keep interceding for this generation, that God will take over their lives completely in Jesus name. God bless you.
Well done my beloved sister. You have said it all. Let us continue to pray for them, talk to them, n most importantly they need to no Jesus christ. Have relationships with him.
Thanks so much Bimbo, your pen captures much in few words. I am nostalgic too. Thanks to all who kept us safe even those who didn’t have to, but sadly, the home is unsafe for many kids. The world consistently turns a blind eye, keeping family secrets, not wanting to rock the boat, protecting those with power because of what they could lose etc. A society is only as strong as its weekest child. Thanks Bimbo we were blessed, great to go back memory lane sis
Dr. Abimbola,
As always, this is another well written and thoughtful piece. I just like to add that although abuse of girls has been paramount for decades, which is terribly unfortunate, boys are also going through terrible abuse and neglect worthy of equal attention, but seem ignored. With that in mind, it is everyone’s responsibility – especially for all that claim affiliation with Christ, to rise against any form of child abuse and be interveners for the boys and girls that God puts in our sphere of influence.
Absolutely dear, absolutely! This piece was written as part of the global awareness for the girl child that is brought to the fore on the 11th of October every year.
Awesome Write Up. Well Done Sis. More Grace
Thank you, my dear sister, Bimbo. You are spot on the changing nature of our world especially as it affects the value placed on children, female children in particular. While I agree with you about the collapse of the moral value in our society with its adverse effects particularly on the female folks. Permit me to say also and in agreement with you that the foundation and the cause of everything is the collapse of family structure at the home front.
Nothing just happened without anyone or anything behind it. The moral discipline and respect for human life you spoke about as you once enjoyed as a growing young girl were a result of deliberate training and the value system inculcated in the lives of those you mentioned. Those moral values were taught to them right from home, school, church and the society at large.
The television that our generation will not start to watch until 4:30 pm as you rightly mentioned has become what many parents used to appease their children in our days. Some do this so that they can have enough time to attend to business and social engagements at the expense of their family.
We are now in the days of cable TV, smart TV, Internet TV which are easily accessible to these children on their smartphones and tablets. All these give these children too much exposure to information and knowledge that are beyond their capacity to process, manage and digest.
Gone are the day’s parents particularly mothers sacrificed their ambitions, delayed their academic/pursuits or development for the sake of their young and growing children whom they considered needed much attention.
What about the schools in the past? Both the structure and the curriculum of the school in the past are tailored after raising morally sound children with academic excellence. Today, what most parents are after today is good academic performance without moral purity.
The Church in the past was made up of homes and families with sound moral values and foundations. Today, the reverse is the case. People with depraved moral and spiritual backgrounds are found in churches and these are people the destiny of our children are entrusted to.
What then is the way out? You alluded to this already. There cannot be a God-fearing society without godly children. Godly children are a by-product of a godly home and a godly home is built by a man and a woman that have committed themselves to the pattern of life and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ still loves little children. He says whoever cannot be converted and become like the little children will never enter into the Kingdom of God. Further, He says only those who welcome little children welcomes Him.
In a nutshell, the greatest investment anyone can make here on earth is to help little children find protection and safety from the enemy of their souls who seek to devour them and render them defeated and useless in life. The best way to do this is to connect them to Jesus and connect Jesus with them. In Him alone is life and this life is the light of men that no darkness can overcome. Whatever help you give to any child biological and non-biological will speak for itself tomorrow. Then, you will become happier, fulfilled and those children will rise to bless your life like our Sister, Bimbo is doing today for all whom God has used to spare and preserve her life.
God bless you.
I am happy to confirm that this is not a fable, it is a true life story.
Bimbo, things have changed, unfortunately not for the better.
Discipline has completely broken down not only in Schools but in today’s homes.
We have misplaced priorities every where.
Fortunately all hope is not lost. We can still make a difference by making sure we raise Godly children who will be immuned from the happening around them.
Bimbo, this is well put together. Well done. Indeed times have changed and the girl child is more endangered now in the 21st century than ever before. We must continue to step up advocacy to ensure that our girls are safe and can be allowed to live to their fullest potential without discrimination.