SPECIAL INVITATION

It is celebration galore at the Day of the African Child organized by the Women of Virtue, from the horn of Africa to Lagos, from Khartoum to Bamako, from Congo to Tabora, Kigali to Capetown, thanks for being a part of our day. We will start this wonderful occasion by welcoming the guests who find time to grace this occasion despite their very tight schedules.

I recognize your presence my dear lad sitting and gazing under the bridge at Oshodi, you are truly trying your best possible to make ends meet. you are leading your blind mother to her usual position, Allah ba Musa you chant continuously, stretching out your filthy little hands to passers by, your face looking towards heaven pleading to all that there may be that morsel on your table tonight to keep you keeping on.

My dear little hero, oh! You are the African child you fought in the war turned Liberia, fully kitted with your little courage, you were forced against your wish to kill and maim the defenseless fellow African Children and women, you turned mothers to widows and your fellow became fatherless. You were forcibly exposed and recruited into the army. The conscience of the African Child was seared with hot iron; you turned into a man overnight, a warrior and the defender of a needless course. Freeee Chan, I salute your courage and your effrontery.

My main African Child, you are part of this celebration, there you are standing among the crowd at Alaba International, watching those pornographic films slotted in by these horrible so called adults!, you were sentenced into their judgments, forced to become an adult before becoming a teenager. You are at liberty to standby and watch, how can I blame you when beside you is the law enforcement agent called the police? He is there also enjoying the show of shame.

Hullo my strong hero, the African Child indeed, when I saw the traffic hold up I know that you are somewhere hawking the wares, running helter-skelter on the highway, you were almost ran over by a car in less than an hour ago. Countless African children have reaped untimely death through this means of livelihood! But man must wack (eat), a way of assisting the poverty ridden parent. It is the duty of these African children to feed their families and younger ones, have your seat among us you are highly welcome.

How can I ever forget you Ekaette, AIsha, Ini-Obong, Eno? you are awake by 4.00am to prepare your age mates for school, Oga’s husband too must be taken care of when the Madam is still fast asleep. Hope your task is not weighing you down? You were brought to the city by an aunty who promised to take care of you, but now you are christened ‘house help’, you have the right of participation; severally you have been molested, violated by the boss’s husband or is it the son, who are you to complain?, all because you are far away from home, a home that can not fend for you, you sometimes wonder why they brought you into the world when they cannot cater for your needs, at least ,now with us you are sure of a future if there is enough time for you in the federal agenda, nevertheless your presence is well recognized in our midst.

Can any representative of the African Child in diasporas who are sent abroad for prostitution signify?, none is around, we still remember as always, you all out there, being deprived and depraved, facing what your mothers cannot face but what shall we do ? As it is the reigning custom now to disperse these girls abroad to make money while men in power are carting away money for generation unborn, my fellow African child I understand your plight.

At Ago Yeye, Elegbeka, Ipakoko, Ago Paanu Ago Omo Kewu Ago Igbira, I can imagine watching you, decked up in your tattered ragS, before cock crow you are on the way to the farm, you can neither read nor write. Actually you were invited but I thought you were too busy to attend our party nonetheless we all believe that you are with us in spirit. We reserve our comments.

My little lady over there thanks for honoring us with your presence, your presence is warmly appreciated, we are aware of your VVF, you cannot stand upright because of your catheter, and too bad you are burdened with the marriage to your grandfather’s best friend! Betrothed at birth when you can neither think nor take decisions, your pillow, your succor, after those excruciating pains from tearing into your innocence by that haggard near to the grave wreck, how can they know what you are passing through when it is not their ordeal? Sentenced to perpetual rape by your so called parents, my beautiful African Child, you are always on our heart.

From Obalende to Lafiaji, Idi Oro to Itire, Okomaiko straight, my darling lad thanks for joining our party, can you really know the balance to pay the commuters? When you hardly pass through their compulsory basic primary school, hold on the Molue, less you fall on the expressway. We are really grateful for everybody present here today for creating time from your busy schedule to attend the African Child’s Party.

What more can we say than to continue to implore the necessary stakeholders to wake up to the plight of the African Child, enough of all the talks the next thing is an action plan that will put the real African Child at the forefront. The Right of Participation for all these, who can neither right nor read?

Please, let us allow these children to be children not becoming mothers before becoming girls, those boys should be in their classes not saddling them with the responsibilities of their father, or becoming the defender of the universe at this tender age.

One out of five African Children is buried because of our fire brigade approach to issues, we all are aware of child trafficking, child labor, child sexual abuse, pornography, early child marriage etc, it is my neighbor’s child today, and tomorrow it may be your child.

This is truly calling world leaders to attend to issues concerning these children, these issues are beyond African leaders who cannot see far beyond their dining tables, these children are turning into scavengers, may the world never be burdened by her seeds that are supposed to bear sweet generational fruits.

Oshodi , Lafiaji, Okokomaiko popular streets in Lagos
Free chan Attention
Molue rickety motors