Page 21 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Economy

themselves from their violent
husbands because of the monetary
significance of the dowry paid to
their parents. Should they be further
unlucky, their own brothers would
even be the first ones to physically
assault them. Parents are normally
programmed to advise their daugh-
ters that they must persevere. The
women are left with no options but
to return to those abusive marriages.
At the end of it all, these depressed
mothers build their houses, cultivate
land, and educate their children on
their own. The saddest part of it
all is that only husbands have made
discipline their children. The elderly
would take care of their grandsons it their singular right to access and
and granddaughters. Pedophiles utilize money for their own selfish
were unheard of because it was agenda, as opposed to providing for
a taboo. Today in Afrika, a lot of their families. They simply do not
people’s manners are lacking. There want to take responsibility, yet when
are no jobs for the youth, no safety growing up, they witnessed similar
of our children going to school or difficulties to that which their moth-
playing outside. Killing, kidnapping ers went through. Children brought
and rape appear to be the order of up under such circumstances lack
the day. solid foundations of family or mar-
riage. So, whenever they encounter
anything that smells like their past in
The trend of our fathers leaving
women to raise sons and daughters their family, they run. They remain
on their own is a growing concern. broken children experiencing unad-
The majority of them normally dressed depression following lack of
forget that these children will grow role models. Then people would go
and go ahead to marry and get ahead and brand them as failures.
married. Not many parents in Afrika
prepare their children for these. For Apparently, single parenthood is the
instance, nowadays, it is an abomina- trend these days. Parents are putting
tion for a wife to inquire about her their children in houses furnished
husband’s whereabouts. This may with everything with the likes of
elicit physical abuse by the husband smartphones, movies, food, and
towards the wife. As a result, when- wireless internet just to avoid the
ever the children hear their father responsibility of raising their own
is arriving home, they run away and children. What puzzles me the most
hide because it would start a war is how, in their old age, the majority
before he is inside the compound. of married men return home to
Sons would want to stand up but their long abandoned wives when
their fathers are the first people to they are very sick and nearly dying.
sabotage them. On the other hand, Their expectations being that the
daughters would experience so same women should accept their
much trauma that they would never sorry situations and be ready to start
envision getting married in future. all over again like nothing really
In numerous scenarios women happened.
would not be allowed to separate So would one consider marriage
good or slavery?

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 18 | DECEMBER 2021 21