The boys who are not properly cared for in the southern part of the country are maturing into street urchins, kidnappers, robbers, and fraudsters. On the other hand, the almajiris, bandits, and terrorists are being raised in the northern part of the country. When we take a look at the world we live in today, we see that the vast majority of people who commit suicide are men. Male children have a higher rate of becoming drug addicts, miscreants, robbers, kidnappers, terrorists, and fraudsters.   The question that arises at this juncture is why it is that issues that pertain to the male child receive so little or no attention at all. Are we essentially claiming that the lives of these young men have no value or that society can function just fine without them?

According to the statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2018, there were 21,605 cases of rape against children, of which 204 involved male children. According to a report published by UNICEF in 2015, one in four Nigerian females and one in ten Nigerian males have been the victims of sexual abuse. (Tribune 2021)

Parents in the northern part of the country, where the Almajiri system is practiced have delegated the responsibility of caring for and educating their male children to religious teachers, who then send the students out into the community to beg for alms in order to provide for the students’ maintenance. In the majority of cases, these young boys are the ones who are put in charge of wreaking havoc during times of crisis, particularly religious crises. They are turned into sacrificial lambs and used as cannon fodder by politicians in order to further their own political agendas.

The situation is the same in the southern part of the country, where the boys are known to be called “area boys,” some of whom are as young as nine or ten years old, are being used by the political class and the wealthy to cause mayhem throughout the nation. A high level of violence, including sexual assault, is also experienced by boys, just as it is by girls. As they mature into adults, the exposure to violence that they get from this in turn makes them more likely to engage in violent behaviour. Abuse of a male child carries with it a significant amount of shame and stigma because, in patriarchal societies, there is an expectation placed on the child to be strong. In this kind of society, male children are less likely to receive assistance; instead, they are expected to figure things out on their own.

A male child who has been the victim of sexual abuse may develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse, thoughts of suicide, and always has a tendency toward violent behaviour. Many of them, particularly those who do not have the supervision of their parents or any other adult, are completely unaware that they have been subjected to sexual abuse.

Children of both sexes should receive the same level of care and attention. After all, the female is dependent on the male and likewise male is dependent the female. The existence of both genders was part of the creator’s original plan, and if we want to keep that plan intact, we can’t give issues that affect one gender more weight than those that affect the other.

Visit www. Hacey.org for more information on our Projects

Written By: Michael Adegboye

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We would like to focus on young girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face throughout Africa. Millions of African girls continue to be denied fundamental rights and face enormous life challenges. These issues include education, nutrition, legal representation, medical care; discrimination protection; and violence against child marriage. In Nigeria, the girl child faces challenges such as gender discrimination, gender-based labour division, female genital mutilation, early marriage, a lack of education, and sexual abuse.

 However, some of these issues are more prevalent in some areas of Nigeria than others. A girl child from Northern Nigeria faces more difficulties than her southern counterpart (Obioma Evelyn Agoziem, The Guardian Newspaper, 2015). She has a higher propensity to skip school; it is simple to marry her off at age 11, because of this, many girls have been exposed to Vesico-Vagina Fistula (VVF) problems, and some have become socially isolated due to the disease’s nature.

To this end, there is a need to provide more opportunities for African girl children and raise awareness of the girl child’s unfairness. This includes, among other things, providing quality education, constitutional rights, protection against discrimination, and the abolition of child marriage and female genital mutilation. Girl children should be given equal rights and be allowed to pursue their dreams without feeling marginalized simply for being female and speaking up for themselves.

In addition, girl children have a right to education. This is because an educated girl is more likely to increase her personal earning potential, prepare for productivity and fulfilment, and reduce poverty in society. An African proverb states that “educating a boy educates an individual, but educating a girl child educates a community.” With this, we can confidently assert that the girl child has a vital role in developing our continent, and there is a need to tap into these resources. These resources can be fully utilized if a healthy environment for the girl child to live and thrive is provided.

We hope to see a continent where African girls will live in their different countries where they are not judged, equal opportunities are provided to all children regardless of gender, female genital mutilation is abolished, and girls are given the right to live freely and become whatever they want without being oppressed or neglected. We hope to see a family where the girl child is given the same freedom and opportunities as the boy child, a society where the girl children are not scared of expression, denied opportunity, belittled, trampled upon, or relegated to second place, just because they are girls. A girl child must be coached and taught proper values to improve her self-esteem.

A girl child must be nurtured, cherished, and loved. A girl child must be told repeatedly that she is valuable. Her parents, caregivers, governments, and society owe this to her. A girl child must be confident in her future! And that can only happen in the right and safe environment, where she can be herself, where she can dream without fear, where she can spread her wings and soar, where she can be boundless!

We provide that space for girls via our PAVE for Girls project. Visit www. Hacey.org for more information.

Written By: Mercy Kalu

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This year Day of the African Child (DAC) 2022 will have as its theme the “Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013.” The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was established in accordance with Articles 32 and 33 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, decided to focus on this particular concern (the Charter).

The majority of HACEY’s projects are focused on assisting children and women in leading lives that are both better and more fruitful. This is because HACEY opposes any form of practice that is detrimental to the development of children.

In light of these, Hacey, in collaboration with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), is sponsoring an outreach on the topic; “Elimination of Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practice since 2013.” Which is scheduled to take place today at Bethel Comprehensive College in Alakia-Isebo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The day’s goal is to raise awareness about the plight of children in Africa and the importance of contributing to improvements in every African child’s education, health, and nutrition. Every year on this day, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and other stakeholders discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the full realization of children’s rights in Africa, as well as potential solutions to problems affecting African child development to improve a better environment in which to live and grow.

It is necessary that we remember the significance of the day and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that face the full realization of children’s rights in Africa. Children’s rights are routinely violated in homes, schools, and society. Some of the violations have almost become standardized and are accepted as norms in some groups. Children are subjected to serious violations of their human rights, including murder, physical harm, recruitment by armed forces or groups, sexual assault, kidnappings, deprivation of humanitarian aid, and attacks on healthcare and education. Other violations include; denial of educational opportunities, female genital mutilation, child trafficking, early marriages, child pregnancies, child labor, exposure to child prostitution and drug pushing. All of these and more violate the child’s rights, and there is a need to end these societal menaces to the African child

Every African child has the right to all advantages and as well as the right to live and thrive. Children have the right to good health, an acceptable standard of living, justice, and protection from inhuman treatment. The African child has a right to and is required to obtain justice and equity. As a result, the government should do everything possible to provide African children with development opportunities because children deserve to be safe from violence, oppression, and harmful social and cultural practices. Children should be viewed as peace, education, health care, climate change, and sustainable development ambassadors. This is because children are our tomorrow’s future.

All African children must have access to a child-friendly justice system. We require a coordinated and collaborative approach from multiple players, such as religious leaders, child rights advocates, governments, non-governmental organizations, children, youth, parents, and caregivers. This multidimensional approach ensures cooperation from the local to national and international levels in promoting children’s dignity and respect. To improve accountability, we must encourage families to identify and report child abuse cases in their communities.

To learn more about the impact that we have had on the African Child, please visit hacey.org.

Written By:

Michael Adegboye and Mercy Kalu

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