Raping a Child of Her Innocence

I enjoy the early morning inspirations that come to me on days like this. Well, this doesn't occur all that often but whenever it comes, it's always something worth writing about and worth sharing.

The subject that I am very concerned about today is how some certain people in the society rape chidren of their innocence; directly or indirectly.

To do this directly is what we are very familiar about; 'Rape'.

However, my buttress is on how the average child is being raped of her innocence indirectly at a stage too early.

The society of today has come to live so comfortably that we often forget our moral ethics. Allow me explain further:

Speaking from experience and having lived in the ghetto part of Lagos where houses have been closely built so that there is little or no breathing space for privacy, I've come to have no choice other than to mingle with other peers in the environ, soon finding myself becoming gradually like them; flocking together like birds without direction.

After school, idleness caused us to lazy around and our curiosity has led us to probing into matters not entirely our business as children.

We've had to watch some pornography videos and to view pictures of ladies, some just a few years older than us doing some horrific 'things' that left us corrupt and disoriented! Soon we found ourselves wanting to try out some of these things ---our innocence misplaced and never to return.

I've seen a mother beat her five years old girl mercilessly for blowing "a stick balloon" which a big brother in the neighbourhood gave her to dispose. Would she have known what it really meant and why it caused her to go through such punishment? This is where education is lacking and why ignorance is biting sorely and deeper into the cultural system of today! Education for the mother, education for the big brother, education even for the innocent child. Education for all!

Today, I'm grown in size and much more in wisdom. Overall, I am grateful that I found the right path again with God's help. However, my concern is for the other chidren out there who are rotting within everyday, due to ignorance that can be stopped not instantly but gradually.

Their innocence may have been raped but their future is still safe and with our help as a better informed society, maybe we can help them reach that expected end God has promised us all.

We need to probe our conscience and start living right because there is 'someone watching' who is not impressed and when we lift up holy hands and say we live to serve God, we must mean every word in truth and understanding for there is a judgement after we leave this earth someday.

by Victoria Ibiwoye