The Sunday Mail
Arthur Simoko 15 years (Citizen Child) —
I wondered why children are always playing on the streets. Gone are the days when parents used to drop off their children at safe and secure parks and playing grounds.
Now where are those places? Houses, shacks and even churches have been built there. As a concerned and also affected child, this issue really broke my heart. I would like to stand for all children and fight for our ecological rights.
Due to unemployment, people cannot afford high rentals and are moving their families into dangerous shacks in open and wet places as well as children’s play grounds.
There is also lack of knowledge which is leading to vandalism. Uneducated young people go and destroy play centres looking for metals for resale. It also seems like children are not a priority to the council.
Some councilors continue to sell illegal stands to citizens on designated play grounds for children. Yet we are the future. Without safe places to play children are now going to very dangerous places to play, for instance near dams.
These unsafe places are prone to diseases like TB and cholera leading to sickness and even death. Physically children will grow unfit due to lack of exercises. Without anything useful to do, young people will turn to drugs leading to drug abuse, which is not good for our health.
I think children’s needs should be reflected in the council’s budget for a better future. This money should be used to re-build play parks and play grounds here in Chi-Town. Having built them we should also maintain and service them.
As for the shortage of houses resulting from overpopulation, the government should build flats instead that accommodate a large number of people but occupy a little space. They should also educate the community about the importance of these places to children.
They should also create employment for our parents and elder brothers and sisters. May the honorable mayor and his team please take note!
Let’s Talk Future for Ecological Child Rights!
Students, YOU CAN SEND YOUR ARTICLES THROUGH E-MAIL, FACEBOOK, WHATSAPP or TEXT Just app Charles Mushinga on 0772936678 or send your articles, pictures, poetry, art . . . to Charles Mushinga at [email protected] or [email protected] or follow Charles Mushinga on Facebook or @charlesmushinga on Twitter. You can also post articles to The Sunday Mail Bridge, PO Box 396, Harare or call 0772936678.
