Former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and current Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Foundation, Afisa Otiko Djaba has ecnouraged women to make commit adeqaute time and resources towards ensuring that their children are brought up with the lovw and attention they need.
In an earlier publication to wish mothers well on the occassion of the International Mother’s Day, Madam Otiko Djaba wrote “busy mothers, especially working mothers like yourselves must make time to know, talk to and listen to their children so that you can better understand them, and be there for them. Make it easy for your children to find it easy to talk to you. Are you an absentee mother? Or are you a part-time mother? Are you using your job as an excuse to pass on your role as a mother to house help, nanny, or extra class teacher or is some relative now performing your motherly duties?”
“Do you know what your children are watching and learning from television and the internet? Who are your child’s friends and what are they learning from their friends and peers? My daughter once told me that she did not ask to be born and that made me sit up and realise that no child has ever asked to be born. So when you choose to bring a child into this world, don’t make up excuses for your absence, negligence, abandoning your child or rejecting it. These negatives can impact a child negatively for life. Busy mothers must prioritize and make quality time for their children to instil in them values, integrity, discipline, cleanliness, personal hygiene, important customs and traditions, respect, confidence, teamwork, conflict resolution, sharing and dignity. By all means, chase your dreams, but not at the expense of your children.”
Futhering the conversation in A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, Madam Otiko Djaba admitted that while it is extremely difficult pursuing a career and raising children at the same time, the sacrifices need to be made to ensure that children are not left to their fate.
“It is very difficult. When you are born as a girl child, you are expected to be a mother, but nobody trains you. There is no manual, there is no training apart from watching your mother do it. It is the most difficult task for someone to be a mother, but we take it for granted because we see people just getting up and giving birth,” she said.
She continued to say that “apart from having the baby, you now have to train the person to be a responsible person. Considering what the modern woman now has to go through, it is even more difficult. What you have to ask yourself is why have I brought this child into the world.”
The former Minister MoGCSP called on mothers to sit up and ensure that their children sit up and become responsible adults adding that “no child asked to be born so until the day you die, you are responsbile.”
Madam Otiko Djaba condemned absentee mothers who make excuses and left their children fend for themselves.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
