There is an uproar in town and the cause? The KCSE 2016 results that have recently been published.
Congratulations to Hon. Fred Matiangi and Professor Magoha for bringing some sanity to our education system. That notwithstanding, social media is now blazing with calls for the boy child; 16 out of the 20 top performing students were girls and this, my friend, initiated calls against the actions deployed to empower the girl child at the expense of the boy. “Why isn’t such tenacity dedicated to empower the boy child?” they asked & the psychological warfare went ablaze.
What percentage of this, however, do you think is due to absentee fatherhood in a society that is historically patriarchal? It’s difficult to tell, but the emotions evoked significantly mirror deeply entrenched underlying issues that cannot be easily brushed aside. Society is demanding for its men to man up.
In a generation where fatherhood fails, the immediate result is a sinking society where the boys lack confidence & direction, have no masculine pride to ascribe to, is feminine in his approach, & consequently we witness an increase in crime, drug abuse and moral deterioration. Something happened somewhere & we have seen a dramatic increase in single parented families. Absentee fatherhood has become like a cancer in our society, ruining our children.
Those of us who remain, need to take the reins of responsibility and bring back our boys. Society today would appreciate role model husbands, role model entrepreneurs and responsible, transparent and accountable leaders to look up to. Together let’s make the boy child great again.
As for the mature men, let’s go back to our homes; love our wives and father our children. Let’s be vulnerable around them, express the warmth love and forgiveness that are necessary ingredients for a harmonious household. Let’s teach our boys persistence, hard work, male aggression and courage to face the issues of life. Let’s teach our children to have respect one for another.
Let’s stand together for a better future laying the building blocks for a prosperous nation. I implore the elderly men to set an example for the generations to follow. We owe it to our children.
Until we speak again, I am your host, Mitchell Odhiambo. Let’s make the boy child great again. To get a female perspective on this topic, please click HERE to read my colleague Lillian’s views.
