Concering Orphans and Vulnerable Children

NEWS BANJUL, THE GAMBIA(MB)-These days, when you look around for news that affect our future leaders in Africa, you have to look for a long time. But if you look long enough, you will find that orphans and vulnerable (OVC) are ill affected in our today's society.
Many of our children, their plights is worsen as a result of neglect and exploitation of the affected children, government needs to take boil steps by setting examples on one that are found to be wanting and draw their attention to the conditions of these children and ensure that their needs are met. There is great need for a comprehensive approach in dealing with vulnerable children in the society but with support from all sundry. They are robbed and their inheritance is managed by people taking care of them, who at all times to be friendly with them.
Children who fall into these category, many a times do not have brighter and save future to become future leaders. In a nutshell, orphans and vulnerable children are prone to ill health than children in more secure circumstances, have less access to health care, miss meals more frequently, and more likely to skip school, or not go to school at all.
There needs to be attitudinal change towards orphans and vulnerable children as the saying goes, today children's are the future leaders and is an indisputable fact. They need to be given the opportunity to grow with a healthy mind as both the family and the as a whole could benefit.
We should also be committed to equal opportunities for all irrespective of the sex of the orphans and vulnerable children. Many of them, their fundamental rights are grossly violated everyday they wake up, their rights to education, parental care and protection, freedom of expression, survival and development etc are all violated. A case in point, a large number of them are subjected to all forms of exploitations, leading the females one to early sex, later turns to sex workers, while for the counter parts, force to child labour, criminal activities among other related crimes, even ponography activities.
Child labour, has also take its stand, a good number of them are subjected to all forms of child labour and they are not protected from any forms of economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous with the child's physical, moral, spiritual, mental os social development. Our today's society are witnessing a lots of changes in our various societies, the way of life of the whole society has change dramatically, and has affected millions of children in the continent.
Another attribution can be many of our children has been or are turning to be war combatants, killing , raping among other crimes that is detrimental to human lives and livelihood and making the continent not making best use of our future scientists, engineers, technocrats, and many fields of profession.
The big question, now is why the international, regional, sub-regional and our nationals laws are not implemented to the maximum to promote and protect our future leaders ? Economical and social empowerment, helps the child to grow and develop positive self esteem to make informed decision and choices and not to condone and accept violence in all its forms.
It is crucial to share certain basic values and assumptions such as concern for one and other: love;affection for each other:help and support in bad times, joy in good times, as well as recognising one another's strengthens and weaknesses. Timely interventions by states are needed at all levels and donor agencies also needs to play their by giving support to governments and establishing of orphanage in countries, but without exploiting them in their lives but shaping them for the future.