There is no tragedy in life like the death
of a child.
Things never get back to the way they were
-
Dwight D.
Eisenhower
I couldn’t hold back my tears
when I saw the picture of Aylan al-Kurdi lying face down on the beach. The three-year-old
boy fled with his family from the Syrian civil war but died on a Turkish beach.
Since the picture was shared around the world, it has sparked an outpouring of
sympathy for the refugees fleeing the bloodbath of war-torn Syria and children
at large. For me, another genius is gone.
That little boy could have been
another Mark Zukerberg, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Barack Obama, Thomas
Edison, Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Ghandi.
It’s been five years since the Syria
war started, and there seems to be no end anytime soon. The most painful of all
are the children. They are always the most vulnerable at war times. Even though most will survive the conflict
physically, the direct and continuing well-being of children remains a serious
concern. A lot of these children lost their parents and loved ones; and are being
displaced for life if no help should come their way. According to UNICEF, in Syria and Iraq alone over
fourteen million children are impacted by conflict and more child refugees now
living in Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.
Most often, there is a common
misconception that young children do not understand stressful or violent events
and so are not as affected as adults.
But their young minds process much more than is often credited. When children are affected by crises, their
developmental milestones can be delayed, their capacity for higher education
attainment is jeopardized and their behaviour, emotional attachments and social
environments are also impacted. Most
often, crises induce severe and chronic stress among children. The most painful
part is our so called leaders turning blind eyes to the dying children. I
believe while these children face depression, struggling to run for their lives
and survive, these so called leaders still woke up this morning having time out
with friends, drinking coffee, sharing jokes while the children are left alone
anywhere they may be to die.
Today, I write to make an appeal
to leaders from governments, international organizations and civil society to act
fast, so we wouldn’t lose many more children like Aylan. I just imagined if
President Obama, Bashar al-Assad, Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth, Robert
Gabriel Mugabe, Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Wole Soyinka had died at infant,
would they have made history today? It is time our leaders double their efforts
towards ensuring the children all over the world are secured and safe. They are
our future, and need to be protected. If a hen can make sure that its chicks
are protected from hawks at their sight, how much more humans. There is need to
enforce international laws which protect children, teachers and schools from
attacks; and equally strengthen national plans and budgets for emergencies
where children become helpless. Our children need us in the toughest places to
serve them. We should ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable children are
given the same opportunities as their own children possess. If their children
attended the best of schools, same should be given to other children; if their
children are given the best of shelter, same should be given to others; if
their children ate the best meals, the same treatment should be given to
others.
We need action leaders and not
mere public speakers, greedy and sick leaders who can’t even feel the pain of
mortals. Our children are our future, it’s time we help empower our future and
save another Aylan. A good story shouldn’t end the way Aylan ended.
#ColourMeCreativeClub #LendYourVoice #ArtAndTheAfricanChild #JPTalks
Profile:
Godwin Okhawere, fondly called JP
loves to make people happy and write brand stories; a resourceful specialist in
Media and Public Relations, Social Work, Brand Development, Copy writing and
Publicity. He is very passionate about building reputation capital for people,
business and organization.
He has featured in movies such as 'Roadside' & 'Finishing Strong'
and also featured in the television series 'Tinsel'. He anchors the monthly
Creative Enterprise Session organized by the Creative Entrepreneurs Association
of Nigeria.
Tweet @jptalkslive #JPTalks
Lets connect:
Twitter: @jptalks
BBM: 79A5C4B7
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