As pupils continue to remain on compulsory holiday resulting from Corona virus pandemic in the country, they need guidance on sex education.
A health worker from Ruiru sub-county has been offering the over 20 early teens, both girls and boys free counselling services who seek guiding and counselling from her during her free time.
Ms. Janet Nzioka who has become a darling to the teenagers says these children have attained a delicate stage in life and that they need guidance so that they do not disrupt their normal growth that may affect their academics.
During an early morning session attended by KNA today, the boys aged 13 to 15 years said they were attracted to the girls whom they were playing with. “ We want these girls as we are sexually active,” two of them opened up during a session she held with the boys alone.
The Health worker advised them that it was not time for them to start engaging sexually with the girls as they were still young and that if they attempted it, they could prematurely impregnate the girls when they were unable to take care of them as fathers since they were also still in school.
She also warned them that they couyld easily contract HIV/AIDS at a tender age if they engaged with any who was already infected. “ Abstain from such activities as you will shatter your dreams when you are still toddlers who are in need of care and protection.” She told them as they appeared too ask questions which are unending.
Ms. Nzioka told KNA that she was also a Sunday School teacher at her Redeemed church and that she loved interacting with the children always. She said at her free time, she has been hosting the teenagers at a church in her neighbourhood in Ruiru so that they have ample space to keep social distance when going through the counselling sessions.
Accordimng to Janet, these children have reached the experimental stage which can easily be exploited by some if they were not properly guided.
She taught them about body change, both physically and emotionally change which she said could result to opposite attraction.
She says after her first talk in July, the teenagers have been pursuing her for the services on a weekly basis. She said they even requested her for longer hours if it was possible since they were idle at their homes and their parents were not present.
A counsellor in Kiambu, Ms.Stella Kerubo said it was important for parents to undergo basic skills in counselling so that they are able to guide their children and those in the neighbourhood appropriately.
Ms.Kerubo reiterated that it was disastrous to take any child to the police when they were forund being intimate or were engaging in any way with those of the opposite sex. “These children are ours and every parent should take responsibility and help whenever you can”she noted.
When you take a child to the police station, you are only hardening the child and when they return home, they will be more rebellious as they have been hardened by the punishement they undergo in the hands of the security officers.
According to Stella, every parent needs to talk and guide their child from the house, so that when they meet their friends out there, they are able to be able to distiguish between the right and the wrong approach of doing things. Stella who is also a primary school teacher says parents should not abdicate their responsibility of parenting especialy during this long duration of corona when it was not clear when the schools will reopen.
She reiterated that parents needed to avail themselves early enough and follow keenly what their children were doing and whom they were associating with so that they can be people who can add value to them as they stay out of books.
By Lydia Shiloya
