The issue of baby dumping in the country, especially among young girls
is, no doubt, a cause for concern, and a national problem.
Almost on a weekly basis, people hear or read about reports of people being arraigned in our courts for dumping their new-born babies in pit latrines or even at dump sites.
One would ask - what are the main causes of this inhuman act?
Media reports on Tuesday have it that a newly-born baby was discovered on Saturday in Latrikunda apparently dumped to die under heavy downpour of rain by her mother.
According to the report, the baby, wrapped in a black cloth, was first seen by a man who was passing at around 5pm when it was raining. But upon seeing the helpless baby under the rains, according to the eyewitnesses, it was already too late for any support as the child was already dead.
While in most cases, people tend to blame the mothers who dump their babies, almost half of babies dumped are victims of baby dumping because their mothers have just entered adulthood or some are even in their teens.
Most of these girls are either too young to shoulder the responsibility of being a mother or are afraid of their parents, so they would end up hiding the pregnancy, then later disposing of the innocent soul.
Whatever the case, we see no reason why people should dump their babies.
We want to reiterate our call for parents to take up their responsibilities, as they have a large part to play in the sexual lives of their children.
Parents should open up to their children, discuss with them and know what their problems are. This way, children can learn from their parents, and try to lead their life through the right path.
On the other hand, children should always heed the advice given them by their parents, as it is the only way out for them. We do not think any parent will give wrong advice to his or her child or try to mislead his or her child.
During this time of the year when some schools are still on their summer holidays, children, especially the students, should take their books as their friends, and not follow irresponsible young men who are only looking out to satisfy their selfish desires, and end up impregnating young girls.
This is, no doubt, a national problem, and we definitely want to see all hands on deck to deal with this situation.
One place to begin is to start prosecuting young men who befriend and end up impregnating, in very questionable circumstances, persons who have been classified by the law as children, which is forbidden by the laws of The Gambia.
“If someone tells you he is going to make a realistic decision, you immediately understand that he has resolved to do something bad.”
Mary Mccarthy
