Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 84
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C H I L D R E N AT R I S K
G
od has blessed Africa with many children, a
great blessing indeed (Psalm 127:3). Roughly
half of Africa’s population is children below age
eighteen. They are our hope for the future. But
what kind of a future can Africa’s children hope
for? It is sad that many of our children are “at
risk” because of violence, war, abuse, disease, and
many obstacles that challenge children in Africa.
A child at risk is any child whose God-given
potential for normal growth and a bright future
are hampered because of difficult circumstances.
Children at risk lack basic necessities needed for
them to develop into healthy adults. These might
include lack of food, clothing, shelter, safety, parental support, healthcare, and education.
Unique Problems of Children in Africa
In Africa, children at risk include orphans,
abused children, street children, trafficked children, unwanted children, disabled children,
child prostitutes, children of war, children in
forced labour, children living in extreme poverty, children affected by HIV/AIDS, child brides,
girls forced to endure female genital mutilation,
and child-headed households. The United Nations estimates that there are ten million street
children in Africa. Some children are killing and
dying in wars. These children do not receive the
necessary care and support to enjoy childhood
and normal growth.
Neglected children may engage in substance
abuse, stealing, begging, deceiving, or sexual activities. It may lead some to selling their bodies
as sex workers. Some drop out of school, become
emotionally and psychologically unstable, or
even commit suicide. Disabled children can be
a mark of disgrace to the family and are either
shunned or pitied.
The spirit of communal compassion that used
to reign in Africa seems to be dying as globalization, individualism, and changes in lifestyle
take over. In the past, for example, a child would
never be truly an orphan because there was always someone in the extended family, like an
uncle or grandparent or even a neighbour, to
take responsibility for them. Nowadays, “family” is more and more being redefined to mean
the immediate family, the ones with just parents
and their biological children. When a parent or
parents are missing, the child may be in trouble.
Street children were never a reality in the past,
but now our streets are filled with them.
A Call to the Church
God is not silent about our children. His care,
compassion, and protection for them are seen
throughout Scripture. In Psalm 68:5, God is
called a “Father to the fatherless, defender of
widows.” Because God is concerned for the rights
of children, we must also be. The Bible is clear
that those who exploit the poor and the orphans
and rob the fatherless children will incur God’s
judgement (Isaiah 10:1-2). In addition, “Pure
and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means looking after orphans and widows in
their distress” (James 1:27). Jesus said, “Let the
children come to me. For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children”
(Matthew 19:14). Christ is the ultimate comfort
for all children. The church must point children
at risk to Christ, both by word and deed.
Individual Christians. The Shona people of
Zimbabwe say, Chakafukidza dzimba matenga,
meaning, “What covers houses are the roofs.” They
say this to show that only those who are inside
know what is going on there. Christians need to
see whether any children around them are at risk.
It is easy to point fingers at the government or the
wider church and say they should take care of the
children. However, looking at ourselves helps us
to see “the log in [our] own” eye (Matthew 7:3)
and to act on it.
If every Christian home truly cared for all its
children, the number of children at risk would
drastically decrease. More children would be
safer, secure, and well cared for physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Christians should learn
to treat all children as a blessing and to provide
an environment that allows children to grow and
prosper in the home.
—Physically, children must be provided with
enough good food, clothing, and a safe environment.
—Emotionally, children need to have a healthy
connection with trusted adults. They need to
be supported and encouraged to express their
feelings in a healthy, God-fearing way. Trusted
Christian adults should make themselves available for children, especially those at risk.
—Socially, children must be encouraged to associate with other children and with adults of
both genders. Children should be taught to be
responsible both for themselves and to care for
others. Children should not live isolated lives.
They need to have a sense of belonging.