Let's help the children smile again

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2020 has been a devastating year not only for working adults but also young Learners whose lives turned around over night at the discovery of the first COVID-19 case in Kenya. 

Children had to be confined within the walls of the home for longer hours due to movement restrictions in combating the virus. They were denied a fundamental opportunity to play and catch up with their peers as stigma about the disease increased by the day. For many, They nolonger accessed usual childly needs as parental income greatly reduced due to economic impacts of the disease. It has been paradise turned hell for them. Smiles were replaced with sadness and silent depression. 

I feel for children who had to experience the dark side of marriage violence as partners who couldn't put up together longer that usual resorted to violence in solving their differences.

This had a traumatic effect on children and the psychological torture could follow them for days into the future.

COVID-19 provided an environment for sexual abuse and children were biggest of the victims. Some were sexually harrassed by guardians, relatives and sadly, parents.

The pandemic raised the poverty bar higher and our young girls fell into the trap of hungry men who lured them with monetary gifts in exchange for sexual favours. Both saw the girls end up pregnant at extremely small ages, some contracted sexually transmitted infections and are now suffering in silence. It's unfortunate that Children don't understand how to protect themselves from such but fate made them victims of a year long pandemic. 

Children have missed long school hours. The monotony of staying at home for months instead of the usual 3 months has turned our once happy children into sad creatures. Their mental growth has been affected adversely as school learning and extra curricular development came to a halt. 

This January it's a sigh of relief for our children who will now get back to class. Parents and teachers have a role to play in helping the children reprogram to normalcy. 

Slow learner's should be assisted to refresh their memories. Traumatized and depressed learners need guidance and counseling to be able to thrive into the future. I have deep sympathies for girls who ended up pregnant. They need our reassurance and love.

The sexually abused need to be reminded that there is still hope and that it will all be okay with time. As the children go back to class, we owe them happiness. Aren't they the joy of our homes? Let's brighten up their lives again as we enter this new year.

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