ACHALUGO HUKUMA

Perhaps many people may not agree with my perspective on this, but I think we need to look beyond the fundraising appeal and have a more difficult conversation about responsibility and accountability. I am not disputing the need to help this woman and her eight children. They need support, and I hope people will come forward to assist them. I also understand the economic realities in the country. Times are hard, and perhaps the man's financial circumstances changed, making it necessary for him to sell his properties. The question is, what arrangements did he make for his wife and eight children who were living in the house? Even if he needed to sell the property, couldn't he have made provisions for alternative accommodation? You cannot simply sell the roof over your children's heads, have them thrown out onto the streets and walk away as though they are no longer your responsibility. I think we need to stop a situation where men can abandon their responsibilities as husbands and fathers, and society is repeatedly expected to step in, raise funds, provide accommodation, pay school fees and clean up the mess, while the men responsible carry on with their lives without being held accountable. By all means, let us help this woman. But where is the husband? What has been done to establish his responsibilities towards these children? Can the appropriate authorities intervene? I would particularly like to hear from lawyers on the legal options available in a situation like this. We cannot keep treating every case of parental abandonment as another fundraising opportunity and then move on once donations have been made. There must be accountability. Otherwise, we risk cultivating a culture where irresponsible fathers and husbands know that, regardless of the consequences of their actions, someone in society will eventually step in to take care of the family they abandoned. Charity should never become a substitute for responsibility, and compassion should not mean that we excuse irresponsibility. We must help those in need, but we must also insist that people take responsibility for the families they bring into this world.