Problems in A Child’s Life

The illiterate parents entrust their children to these people, who do not have the interests of the young child-servants at heart. However, are in the trade to make money. Often times the middlemen/women never contract their natural children to any household. Rather, they ensure their children have treasured childhood.

The ones that come back to the hamlets may in some instances have started lives in Lagos as child-servants: “boy-boy or house girl” depending on their gender. These are among the few that survive. Whereas, there are many that are returned to their hamlets more damaged than when they were contracted to abusing and unloving homes. These child-servants, when dispensed are left on their own to deal with the consequences, for which no one takes responsibilities and no one tenders an apology. The child-servants live with guilt for failing their families and yet quietly wonder the type of love that necessitates a parent to farm out their children like tools. The pains and scars carried by the child-servants for the rest of their lives are not factored into the immediate solution of economic relief brought about by hiring them out as factotums, where they develop adult skills early in life.

As for the skills developed by these child-servants while in service, it is unwise to marshal any argument based on such gains. The talents and hopes of these children are rarely developed or fostered so that they can contribute meaningfully to the financial freedom of the parents who love them so much, to give them up for a better life in our commercial centers. The pittance that these child-servants earn is inadequate to justify the cruelty meted to them. These children are not covered by the minimum wage legislation. Their Masters/Madams vociferously campaign and encourage national strikes. Yet, they conveniently forget their own personal responsibilities to pay a minimum wage to some child-servants who they engage at their homes to serve them and their children. The precepts of the Masters/Madams include: what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Hypocrites!

As a matter of stating the obvious to Nigerians and a broach of national opprobrium to outsiders, it is worth explaining the helplessness of these child-servants and the type of people who foster the shameful trade to blight the chances of brighter futures. It is arguable that without the life in a commercial centre, these children would have been wasted anyway. I reject that type of argument. In a nation as richly endowed as ours, there ought to be no place for child-slavery. If these children are to leave their homes and loved ones, it must not be for the reason of toiling on behalf of another family.