By James Ayiek Bath Acuoth
I feel sad when I see young school kids who are the potential future leaders of this Country gambling on streets instead of studying in schools. It is equally baffling and appalling that some of them gamble even with school uniforms on them, while the City authorities are going about their usual businesses.
This is totally absurd, and mind boggling that such anti-social acts are permitted to flourish at the watch of City authorities. Gambling by its own nature is strictly permitted in lawful Casinos regulated by law in classified areas. However, this random gambling on streets using simple electronic machines is not only ruining the future of School kids, but nurturing potential crimes in this City.
Where on earth is gambling freely permitted on streets with ease of access to small children below eighteen and ten years without intervention from the authorities? Juba City is hosting thousands of School Children and it is the only educational hub that has drawn many Children from different States in South Sudan. The need for quality education in South Sudan is tandem, because the illiteracy gap is very wide.
Notably, the empirical analysis from Researchers has proven that illiteracy is the root cause of tribalism, poverty, communal violence, organized crimes and gender based violence in South Sudan today. Simply, because four out of every ten people can be proven literate, while only 20% out of twelve million populations in South Sudan are educated.
However, the analysis indicated that there is exigent need to increase quantitative education to include the school dropout, the adult and all those who can be able to read and write. Maze! if you are already a parent, you need to do a back-ground check to your children, because some of you are too busy to know the dangers your children are going through without your notice.
Besides civil war, and communal violence, it is noted that poverty has forced many Children out of school, while polygamy marriages without proper parental responsibility is also another social deadlock dumping children on the streets.
With Juba, as a commercial City, that is granting easy access to technology, alcohol, prostitution, including all forms of anti-social acts, it is toxic for young School kids without proper parental guidance to gradually get drown into crimes, because City authority laws are either flouted, lousy, or there may be no laws against such.
I have seen that when social contract breaks down, the vulnerable people such as children without intervention from the governing authority loses the opportunity to live their expectations. I am certain just like you do, that children on the streets are equal to those in palaces, it is just that no one gave them attention or care to prepare them for a better future.
Even though, children in mansions, or palaces maybe viewed as better than those on streets, still, there shall be no future for them if they are left on their own, in this busy city, such as Juba. The diminishing parental care must be reinforced by strong law enforcement to limit easy access to anti-social acts to children, by the authorities concerned in this City.
Equally, child labour is also another factor that has put the lives and future of many children at risk. With young children aged ten or below, working either as bus conductors, shoe polishers, sale agents, attendants at restaurants, or even involved in drugs. In areas, such as Konyo-konyo, Customs, new-site, Thongpiny, Jebel, and many Juba suburbs hosts minors involved in such conditions.
To be continued…
The author can be reached via E-mail; ayiekojames512@gmail.com