Full contribution:
*HON. CHINANZVAVANA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me take this opportunity to thank the mover of the motion and seconder of this motion. This is an issue that deeply concerns us. It is a painful issue and it hurts everyone who has given birth. No one wants their child to be abused or sent into slavery. Therefore, I want to thank you Mr. Speaker that as you went there on official business, you realised that our children were in trouble and you took it upon yourself to bring them back home. We cannot bear our children to become slaves.
Before I go to the prayer Mr. Speaker, I want us to look at the root cause and make an analysis of what has caused these flights to the diaspora. Our local singer Oliver Mtukudzi sang a song that says “Ongorora chikonzero chaita musoro uteme.” What has caused these children to engage in diasporan flights? As a Government, we are the ones with a problem. We are to blame Mr. Speaker Sir. When our children depart and go to neighbours to seek for food, it means there is somewhere I am lacking as a parent. It means I need to address my family issues to ensure that our children do not go and eat elsewhere.
Firstly, when a person is leaving their country, they are given a visa. There is a Ministry that is responsible for that. So, we should also look at why our children are going to the diaspora. Had they been given visas and for how long will they be gone. If that had been investigated before the children went, we should not have met this challenge. We should have known whether it was because of economic challenges or it was just to seek employment for sustenance. We should not sleep on duty Mr. Speaker.
After investigating the challenges that have resulted in this, the major problem is the issue of poverty. If there is poverty, one is forced to engage in anything because they do not have a choice. This results in abuse and people become sex slaves and can do some menial jobs that we cannot even mention. The sad thing is, recruitment is happening here in our nation. If our children were economically sufficient, they would not be going abroad. Our children are learned and the whole of Africa knows that Zimbabweans are learned. However, there is nothing for them to do after graduating. For example, nurses that we train in this country, after completing their diploma training, they end up sitting at home. They are trained to do medical duties and if they remain idle, that knowledge becomes irrelevant. In the end, a child becomes desperate and ends up engaging in anything to sustain himself or herself.
We need to come up with measures to economically empower our children, even in the informal sector. If you look at the informal sector which is now the order of the day, is it looking for the girl child as well? The SMEs right now hold the economy of the country but as we look for funds, do we realise that we have children who are coming from university and do not have anything to do. Mostly, if girls face challenges, they engage in such activities. We need to come up with strategies as a nation in order to alleviate the issue of poverty and unemployment. We should start with women because it is said, educate a woman and educate a nation. Once we empower these girl children, they can look after their families and they will not abuse their bodies for sustenance. We need to find funding to ensure that our children become empowered.
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