Numerous times in scripture children are referred to as a blessing or a treasure... even Jesus made time in his schedule to spend time with the children. And I know I am not a parent and some people say that I don't understand but I would beg to differ.
It is appalling to me how village children are treated. They are 'created' to work and nothing else... if education interferes with the work then it is education that is stopped. They are taught how to dig, fetch water, and keep their compound clean from the time they are young. They are not taught things like responsibility or the importance of maintenence of what they have.
Which brings me to the situation today that left me furious...not because it happened but because it happened TWICE! One of our staff has her 2 year old grandson living with her. The child is rather fussy when he doesn't get his way so needless to say anytime he whines and fusses he gets whatever he wants. The staff's housing is about 100 yards from my apartment and the clinic... not a far distance but there are several obstacles that limit "keeping an eye on the child". The first time the child came up to the veranda and just sat down... no words... just a pouty face. So after several minutes I put down what I was working on and walked to inquire of the staff what the little boy needed knowing full well... he doesn't speak English and I don't speak 2 year old Luganda. I was given the answer... he just wanted the ball to which I responded "and how am I to understand that is what he wanted? Next time he needs something one of you get up and accompany him."
Two hours later, I am sharpening colored pencils for the classrooms and I hear a little one crying and continually say the Luganda word for Nurse....the kind of crying typical of a child getting a shot. Knowing it is a clinic it didn't bother me until 15 minutes went by and this behavior is still going on... I again left my apartment and went over to the clinic and found the same little boy just sobbing and standing in the middle of the clinic by himself. This time I stepped out of the clinic and saw that the staff along with two others were sitting on their front porch just chatting and having lunch. I asked in a rather loud voice why the little one was in the clinic all by himself crying? The response ... he is looking for the nurse. So I went back in to the clinic to see if the nurse was in there and I got no response so I picked up the little boy, calmed him down, and we walked again to the staff's house. I explained the situation that the nurse was not in there and the little boy had been crying and screaming for about 15 minutes. The response was... he was supposed to be calling the nurse for lunch. We didn't know she was not there.
Urgh! I deposited the child and walked away before I could express what I really wanted to say. Yes I was irritated of my work being interrupted but more bothered by the fact that this 2 year old is wandering around for 15 + minutes by himself and the only response I get is we didn't know. This is not a one time occurance but happens numerous times a day where parents are not aware of where their children are. Children as young as 2 and 3 are left to wander from the time they get up at 6am til dark.
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