WINDHOEK: The Women´s Action for Development (WAD) on Wednesday made an urgent plea to the Ministry of Education to view Life Skills as a subject.
Executive Director of WAD Veronica De Klerk made this statement whilst receiving 15 computers valued at N.dollars 30 000 from PriceWaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday.
De Klerk made the plea in light of the spate of gruesome killings of women, which have sent shock waves all over the country.
¨As a subject Life Skills is crucial to prepare learners to respect the lives of other human beings and to uphold and respect our moral values and integrity,¨ she said.
In view of the significance of the subject, WAD further called on the ministry to consider pronouncing Life Skills as an examinable subject within schools.
De Klerk also expressed disappointment regarding the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the country as well as towards young women who throw away their babies in rubbish bins as if they were refuse.
¨To say the least, this is gruesome, inhumane and above all, it is criminal and amounts to attempted murder,¨ she lashed.
She said in just the past week newspapers had disturbing headlines such as, The carnage continues-Butcher confesses to slitting girl´s throat, Mother kills her baby with battery acid and Angolan Pastor allegedly rapes a 16 year old girl on the altar.
Another disturbing headline she mentioned is that a staggering total of 6217 young girls between the ages of 10 and 19 have fallen pregnant since 2010 in the Kavango region alone.
¨What has gone wrong in our society today? Where did we go wrong and what on earth have we become as a Nation,¨ De Klerk questioned.
The Executive Director said although calls have gone up from many platforms to stop the phenomenon of baby dumping, it continues to occur, even with intensified regularity.
Thus in view of the crisis dimensions of the problems, WAD proposed that the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to take the lead to convene a National Conference on baby dumping, teenage pregnancies and gender based violence.
¨Since baby dumping has reached such an alarming proportion in the country, such a conference should consider installing ¨Baby Safes¨ to allow mothers to leave unwanted babies there anonymously,¨ she suggested.
De Klerk said the babies would at least be protected from harm and for mothers to give their children up for adoption safely, without any fear of recrimination.
She said according to media reports in the country, an average of 40 bodies of new born babies are discovered each month in human waste flushed down toilets, while most of the dumped babies are from students.
¨This situation has taken on crisis proportions right under our noses and it is high time that we do something tangible about it,¨ the WAD executive director warned.
(edited)WINDHOEK, 01 AUG (NAMPA) – WAD has pleaded with the Ministry of Education to view Life Skills as a subject, crucial to prepare learners for life and crucial to prepare learners to respect the lives of other human beings.
Women’s Action for Development (WAD Executive Director, Veronica de Klerk made this statement on Wednesday whilst receiving 15 computers valued at N.dollars 30 000 from PriceWaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday.
De Klerk made the appeal in light of the spate of gruesome killings of women, which have sent shockwaves through the country.
She said Life Skills is also crucial to prepare learners to uphold and respect moral values and integrity.
In view of the significance of the subject, WAD further called on the ministry to consider pronouncing Life Skills as an examinable subject within schools.
De Klerk also expressed disappointment regarding the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the country, as well as young women who throw away their babies in rubbish bins ‘as if they were refuse’.
“To say the least, this is gruesome, inhumane and above all, it is criminal and amounts to attempted murder,” she lashed out.
The executive director said although calls have come from many platforms to stop the phenomenon of baby dumping, it continues to occur, even with intensified regularity.
Thus in view of the crisis dimensions of the problems, WAD proposed that the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare take the lead to convene a National Conference on Baby Dumping, Teenage Pregnancies and Gender-based Violence.
“Since baby dumping has reached such an alarming proportion in the country, such a conference should consider installing ‘Baby Safes’ to allow mothers to leave unwanted babies there anonymously,” she suggested.
De Klerk said the babies would at least be protected from harm, and for mothers to give their children up for adoption safely, without any fear of recrimination.
Citing media reports in the country, she said an average of 40 bodies of newborn babies are discovered each month in human waste flushed down toilets, and most of these dumped babies are from students.
“This situation has taken on crisis proportions right under our noses and it is high time that we do something tangible about it,” said the WAD chief.