Prime
Be mindful of children’s mental, emotional health
The story of an 11-year-old-girl in Bugiri District who took her own life after she was reportedly forced to act as a scarecrow and watch over the family’s rice field is distressing to say the least.
According to the story in our Thursday edition, Amina Nakyema, a primary four pupil of Nabukalu Primary School and a resident of Namundolela Village, Nabukalu Town Council in Bugiri District, was on Wednesday found hanging on a mango tree by farmers who were heading to their rice gardens.
In the story, the girls’ sister with whom she was living says the deceased had earlier threatened to commit suicide after she was told to collect water from the borehole but that she took it as a joke.
This is another grim addition to countless stories of children who have for one reason or another decided to take their lives. Such unfortunate decisions are not taken suddenly, they are usually premeditated and in many cases there are tale tell signs of suicidal thoughts or deep-seated depression. Those around suicide victims usually ignore the small hints as jokes or childish tantrums.
Not too long ago, a 15-year-old girl, who sat her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Bwikya Muslim Primary School in Hoima City, committed suicide after she was reportedly mocked for her performance. (See Daily Monitor July 21).
In her suicide note, Daphine Kimuli claimed that there were people laughing at her for performing poorly in PLE. These are only a fraction of reported cases, and then of course, there are those that are never publicized.
In the story about the 11-year-old from Bugiri, Mr Stanley Okitwi Obonyo, the Namundolela Village LC1 chairman, said many children are suffering in silence without any help and mooted the idea of having meetings to sensitise the locals on how to stay with children.
It is only natural for parents and guardians to get caught up in the mundane day-to-day work of trying to make life financially comfortable for their children.
Unfortunately most times, this comes at a price of neglecting emotional and psychological needs of those in their care. It is important to deliberately and intentionally check in on the children in our care and those around us just to make sure that all is well, that a tantrum is really just that and not a deeper cry for help which if ignored could breed terrible consequences such as suicide. Otherwise what is the use of working so hard to provide for our children only to lose them this way?
