Children having Children.

A few days ago our nation cried in shame, mothers held onto their children paralyzed in fear yet again. This time, it was a fifteen year old mother...yes MOTHER, shot dead while out with her companion (father of her child).

Now there is no intention here to berate, admonish nor belittle the mother of this young mother. After the child's ( 15 is a child, no?) death, her mother was on local news, speaking of the initial shock at her child's pregnancy, but later on lauding her daughter for being a responsible mother.

The question is, where does it end and who is at fault with this phenomena of children having children. Where are the values of the earlier generations? Have they dissolved into the background, taken over by technology and the YOLO (You Only Live Once) mentality?

It isn't uncommon to see young women, barely twenty one with a babe in arms and another on the hip. Speak to some teachers who dare to share stories of their students in the government schools. Can you imagine a 16 year old informing their teacher that they wont be at school the following day for an exam because they cant afford to send their toddler to daycare! What a world to live in, robbed of innocence by poor guidance and poor education. Imagine those who have grown up and learnt that having a child is a form of income, as the state provides welfare for those mothers in need.

Where is sex education? In a nation that is predominantly "Christian" there is no sex education on the curriculum, yet a growing discomfort over the population increase with children having children.

Imagine being a fly on a wall in a primary school classroom, where a young boy and girl barely 10 years old are having sexual intercourse on break and lunch times. Imagine yourself again, picking up your nine year old from school and having to answer why your sons classmate asked him if she could 'sit on his face for a nice time'.

Where does it start and end, and do these parents and elders even recognize the values or lack thereof they are instilling in their young ones.  Is it cultural? Since when did it become acceptable to encourage your offspring and younger family generation to have children out of wedlock, when did education take the back burner and the desire to have a 'girl child' or 'boy child' become the number one priority!

I am ashamed for my country, and ashamed as a woman, to see the elder generation preach  the word of God, and call damnation upon those who wrong them, yet encourage such an immoral and present time oriented mentality. Where is the common sense and true love for humanity? If you really love your fellow man and want the development of a nation, wouldn't priority be to invest in the future of the younger generation, encourage education and the promotion of all round development, and not the roundness of a stomach.

Wake up Trinidad and Tobago, for now all you can do is hold your head in shame and see that the society is tantamount to the mentality you cling to, if you believe that your leaders are not setting the right example, one up them and do it yourself.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.