Two years ago, my mates and I were trekking down the roads of Akwuke community, where we had been posted for community health nursing.
We had since discussed how concerning it was that the people here were popping out kids with no care in the world and no regard to their financial situation.
Not long after, we came across a pregnant woman. From the looks of her bump, she was nearing full term. We noticed she had five other little ones trailing after her as she walked down the street.
We gave one another a look, as if confirming our previous discussion.
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One of us then approached the woman and inquired about the kids. She replied, rather proudly, that they were all hers. We inquired about her husband’s occupation, and she said he loaded sand from a nearby beach into trucks for sale while she made Zobo and Soy milk (both local drinks) and sold them to people.
So it is not the most ideal situation to be bringing in yet another child—a liability.
When we asked how she planned to provide for her litter, she only replied, “The God that gave them to me will take care of them.”.
I think the above statement sums up the general mentality surrounding kids and procreating. The majority of people who are uneducated believe that no matter their financial or emotional situation, procreation must go on and that God will provide.
Now I am, in fact, a Christian and believe wholeheartedly in God and in his teachings. I know that He does make provisions for his people. But should you then purposely place yourself and your unborn kids in precarious situations because of this?
I believe it is synonymous with placing your finger over a flame and trusting that because God protects his people, you are sure that the flame will not hurt you. It makes no sense.
But people simply don’t care. It is how they were probably raised, so they don’t see anything wrong with continuing the cycle of hardship.
While there is a significant portion of the population that is educated and doesn’t think this way, it seems as though it is a cause for legitimate concern.
I believe it would benefit the country at large if the government became actively involved and created a law or passed a bill that would effectively regulate and balance out the rate of childbirth in the country.
For example, if low-income households were allowed just two offspring, I believe that household would be a much happier one. The parents would be satisfied with the fact that their income is enough to cover the basic needs of the kids: food, shelter, and clothing.
Plus, they may have enough time to provide the kids with adequate love and attention, which will in turn create a secure personality in the children, therefore improving the quality of people in the nation.
Thirdly, this will give the parents the opportunity to invest properly into their children's education and financial future, therefore setting them up for success in the future.
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