Do not leave your child with anyone

It was sad to read a story in the media titled ‘Two-year-old baby strangled on the eve of his birthday party.’ This happened when the child’s parents were making final preparations to celebrate his belated birthday. Little did they know that evil would befall them.
What hurts me most is the fact that this happened under the watch of the very people who should have ensured the safety of the child given that the mother was not around. This shows that today’s world is not like the one in the past where it took the entire community to raise a child.

And because it appears that evil has infiltrated today’s society, it becomes harder to entrust your children or own life with anybody. I wonder why people do not want to desist from dubious ways of getting rich quickly despite the fact that the government is trying to ensure that the youth, women and other groups are given startup capital through programmes such as the Youth Livelihood Programme, Uganda Women Enterprenurship Programme, Northern Uganda Social Action Fund and SAGE, among others.

Taking the life of a handsome little soul like that of this child and others is very unfortunate. I believe that as we strive harder to make ends meet for our families, parents should be aware that not everybody is happy with their progress. There are people who envy you and will want to do anything either to hurt you, gain or even bring you down.
Fortunately, God is in control. Therefore, it is up to us above everything else to take care and be mindful of the dark days of today which are full of evil. The police should investigate and bring the perpetrators of this sordid act to book so as to send a strong message to others to do desist from committing similar crimes.

My appeal to parents today is that they should not trust anybody (maid, close relatives and neighbours, among others). Be your child’s protector and whatever you do and wherever you may be, always keep a close watch on your children. If, for instance, you go on a long trip, it is better you go along with your child.
Desmond Kenyi,
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