By Enitan Doherty-Mason
The world is not ours, the earth is not ours, It’s a treasure we hold in trust for future generations. (African Proverb)
Image by: Volunteer Travel
“Madam, What Is your concern? Those children are fine.”
These are the most heartbreaking words to me, whether directly spoken or implied, when I connect with custodians of young Nigerian children, especially the children of the poor. I am equally appalled by insensitivity whether these custodians are school proprietors, teachers, childminders, or administrators of any groups or institutions that work with or provide services or products to children. Unfortunately, I seem to run into more of those custodians who do not see the children of the poor as relevant and worthy of meaningful quality education, services, or products. It is time for all of us to see the worth in all human beings if we are truly hoping for a better nation.
To those who think I am just some soppy-hearted older woman who pities poor people, they couldn’t be more off the mark. While I am gentle-natured and empathetic, I am also clear-headed, strong, and strategic. I do not pity the poor. I am fully aware that the masses are poor but that they are not only large in number but full of latent power. I pity those who do not value others. I pity the greedy and the inhumane. I pity anyone who knowingly destroys the seeds before they are planted such that it denies the nation a fine harvest of citizens who will make a strong future. I am very well aware of our overall national blindness to building strong foundations starting from the youngest most flexible generations – our youngest children. Damaged seeds do not make the best crop. I pity those who destroy and damage the seeds leaving scarred crops to carry the weight of a nation.
While it is true that I did not attend public schools, my interest in the betterment of public schools, especially the public elementary schools, goes beyond a peripheral interest. It is a deep long-range interest because it is the children of the masses, not those of the middle or upper economic class, who will get the real work of the nation done. The president will not do his own typing, nor will the CEO of a company do those day to day secretarial duties that keep his business running. My intent is not to relegate the children of the poor to certain forms of employment but to state that employment at every economic level needs well-educated people. We know that education begins from the cradle therefore, all young children deserve the very best education and support, no matter their economic background.
Good leaders know that they cannot succeed if those they seek to lead are largely ignorant, damaged, desperate and lacking the very foundation required to carry the work they hope to do forward. When elementary school teachers and students are left to manage with the scarps, they are not okay and our nation is not okay. We cannot continue to harvest those that survived primary school for secondary school and secondary school survivors for university. We cannot keep wasting human beings. Madam is concerned and will remain concerned until things change.