Parents and guardians have been urged to take their responsibility seriously even as the long school holidays draws near.
Kajiado County Gender Officer Catherine Mutinda noted that many parents have abdicated their roles and left the responsibility of disciplining and counselling their children to teachers.
Mutinda said it is the primary responsibility of parents to raise their children by constantly advising and counselling them so that they grow up to be morally upright citizens.
“As we go into the long December holidays, I am calling on parents to take up their parenting role seriously by taking care of their children and advising them not to fall into peer pressure,” she said.
The Gender officer noted that it is normally during the long school holidays that children fall into peer pressure and end up getting pregnant or abusing drugs and alcohol as their parents and guardians are usually busy trying to earn a living.
She urged parents to always monitor their children’s movement and the friends they hang out with so that they do not fall into peer pressure and engage in social ills.
“The buck stops with the parents. Parents should not abscond or delegate their duty when it comes to their children as they play a crucial role in shaping their future.” Said Mutinda.
Mutinda further noted that the government was on high alert to ensure that children are protected from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriages which are rampant in the county during the holiday season.
She revealed that the anti-FGM board had launched a mobile application dubbed PASHA App which will aid in reporting and tracking FGM cases in real time.
Through the App, one can send or share emergency alerts either in texts or voice recording. Once shared, the information is received by the relevant authorities who then respond accordingly depending on the alert received.
By Rop Janet
