On Monday 11 April the Times told us about an inyanga in Sithobelweni who does abortions for women young and old. A number of local citizens were quoted saying things such as "This is a bad practice", "This is evil" "This is a tragic situation" and "We hope the police will help us in this matter". These are good sentiments, because they reflect a concern for the youngest of all Swazi citizens.
Still, one must ask: what led these women to take such a drastic step, a step which in some cases led to their own tragic deaths? How could we, the fellow citizens of these women who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, have helped these women avoid their terrible choice in the first place?
The old saying goes, "An ounce (or gram) of prevention is worth a pound (or kilogram) of cure". If a girl or young woman appreciates her own value and dignity, she is much less likely to seek the "approval" of fast-talking sugar daddies by giving them sex. Further, understanding the proper context and purpose for sex can prevent such tragic situations. How can young ladies gain such appreciation and understanding?
They must learn it from their elders. If the adults in children's lives practice and teach abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage (according to the state of life of those adults), Swazi children will almost automatically do the same. We learn by example. Young people copy, whether they intend to or not, the words and actions of their parents and other adults in their lives. Every mother or father who pays attention to their children knows this.
As far as a child is concerned, "love" is a four-letter word spelled "T-I-M-E". Parents dramatically increase their influence on their children by spending time with them. This love/time investment builds a bridge of trust between parent and child, and that bridge of trust allows example and teaching to flow from parent to child. As minutes become hours, and hours become days, and days become weeks, and weeks become years, parents will see in their children and hear from their very lips the values those parents have lived and taught. By teaching abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage, moms and dads inoculate their children (especially their daughters) from possibly destructive sex. These parents, by living out and teaching how to have a marriage of love and life, greatly increase the chances of their children enjoying healthy marriages themselves. And then, instead of having to arrest abortionists, lack of demand for their "services" will simply put them out of business.
No to abortion; yes to love and life.
Rudy Poglitsh
rpoglitsh@live.com
more letters at http://letterstotheTOS.blogspot.com
