The City Stadium was full to capacity. The crowd waiting anxiously for Mr. Wallingo the counsellor to arrive. People of different ages, gender and ethnic groups were there. As Mr Wallingo arrived the crowd burst into songs and cheers.
After settling he started, “The Chief, Village elders and my fellows; good morning. Today we are going to discuss some issues. One is about early marriages. This is affecting the country in some ways: There is food shortage due to increase to population. Also we clear vegetation for settlement. The Government use a lot of money to make social facilities. Also there is poor medical care. There’s always congestion in roads, schools and health centres. We should avoid early marriages. Do everybody agree with me?” he asked.
“Yes we do!” the crowd answered in a chorus. The audience was listening attentively to Mr. Wallingo’s council.
“The second theme is about child labour. Child labour is giving excess work to children especially work meant for adults. We together with the Government are supposed to oppose and stop child labour. The children should not only be educated but also given their rights.
“Children should go to school not being employed to work in plantations and to look after the animals. Those children who are being employed by the rich to work have some problems. Some are dying of hunger for they do a lot of work and are given the leftovers.
“They are treated more badly even than the dogs you see. We citizens and patriots of Kenya have to fight child labour in all means. If we get anybody employing a child, raping or even a parent forcing a young girl to be married, we should take them to be dealt with by the government.
“Our third issue is about the F.G.M. or the female genital mutilation. This is female circumcision. This also should be stopped. Although the government banned this, some communities practice this. The FGM leads to quick spread of AIDS.
“That is if one woman or girls has the virus and use one knife to circumcise all of them they all get the viruses. Also most die because of bleeding profusely. The wounds take time to heal and there is a lot of pain. Again, I repeat, let’s fight, oppose and stop the FGM. This female genital mutilation, let’s try our best to stop it. To communities which practise this. I am going all over the world telling them the problems of FGM.
“Also I would like to talk about early sex. The children drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancies. Or contraction of HIV virus. The AIDS victims usually look as thin as grass during the full blown AIDS stage. They look as if they can be carried away by the wind” (the people laugh).
“I think that is the end and let’s try our best to stop the four issues we have discussed. Thank you for listening to me.” (People go home talking happily.)
by Samuel Murage Wahome, 11
