By Fidel Ozugha.
Nigerian mothers have been enjoined to rise up to the heavy challenges of bringing up the children in the ideal ways of God.
Dropping this challenge during a telephone interview with The NationGuardNews.com, the Southeast Director General of Global Mothers Humanitarian for Peace and Justice, Hon. Amb. Dr. Mrs Chinyere Juliana Madike, explained that poor upbringing children at homes has turned many youths into a nuisance not only to their families but to the larger society.
“When you analyze the effects of increase in crimes, high level of violence in the country, you find out it is like a dagger in the hearts of we mothers of these children.
“No misbehaving child gives an African mother any joy, rather the mother stuffers such sicknesses like heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, etc.
“To avoid this,” the lady ambassador of peace and humanitarian services who was awarded Ambassador of Zuldal of Microfinance Bank recently said, “as pillars of family unity, instilling African morals, culture, and love in the home should be a major concern of every mother.
“Unguided children grow into youths that veer into cults and scams partly due to poor upbringing and toxic Nigerian environment where crimes are no longer punished.”
Going further, Amb. Mrs Madike appealed to African mothers
to provide emotional support, love, and guidance consistently; teach cultural values, traditions, and language as custodian of heritage;
manage the home’s physical and moral wellbeing, shaping good character among our children.”
She enjoined mothers to sacrifice personal ambitions to prioritize children’s growth and family harmony.
Appreciating societal pressures and current challenges mothers go through in order to make ends meet, she observed that there were cases where modern mothers face unrealistic societal expectations or limitations from tradition and religion, but their role remains indispensable to curbing youths’ negative influences,” she said.
On how to help Nigerian and African youths dodge bad habits, and save their mothers from early and timely deaths,
Dr. Mrs Madike called for strong mentorship that could connect the youths with positive role models and mentors who inspire good choices.
“As early as possible, teenagers should be engaged in skills training that will offer vocational and entrepreneurial training to boost confidence and job prospects
She appealed to leaders in politics, religion, etc to create community programs that offer safe spaces for sports, arts, and education to keep them busy and engaged.
She further called for an increase in awareness campaigns that would educate the children on risks of cults, scams, and violence through schools and media.
“Supporting youths this way can help them build brighter futures without falling into traps. If we keep on neglecting proper up bringing of these bundle gifts of God, then we will face a future that’s bleak, blank and blurred,” she submitted.
