Two months ago on yesterday’s date, an innocent pre-teen female child in La Belle Dominique,my Nature Isle, went missing from her usual place of residence late in the night when she should have been peacefully asleep in order to awaken fresh and eager to attend school the following day.
Her disappearance was laden with too many inconsistent versions that gave way to a plethora of assumptions, responses, viewpoints and revelations. The revelations themselves unearthed a pit of toxicity wherein lay multiple layers of hurts, shame, guilt, fear, deceit, frustrations, irritation, just too many ills that all surrounded an innocent child who never asked to be brought to this world of ours, but who found herself in this gross entanglement of shifting cords.
Her slipping away, yet to be resolved caused the entire Nation to become vice-gripped in anticipation, anger and frustration. In the Region and Globally, many stones began to be pelted at how we adults, communities, systems and hunans in general are taking care of our children. While Kernisha’s case is not the first of its kind on earth, it certainly was impactful enough to arrest the attention of a large number of people, and was enough to start a fire about child-care.
What spiralled outwards was the outrage about abuse of our vulnerable wards, our children! The ripples of being aware of rampant sexual abuse were large and unavoidably visible. Moreso, the apparent open secret of pacifying its presence was even more glaring as througout the region, episodes came to the fore in quick succession of each other.
The arduous task of accepting that the scourge of ill child-care/child abuse is present, deeply rooted in old-age norms and mores,must be tackled. Those in authority, those who hold the legal reins must be forthright. Those “pious church folks”, those socially and economically affluent people must become support pillars. Those ordinary Tommies, Dicks, Harries, Janes, Suzies must speak up and out.
A dismantling must ensue! A valiant approach must be taken ensemble! We must take care of our children! Please Let’s!
Garden Conversations with Roze 