Every day, every single day, another child’s name becomes a headline. Another child’s face becomes a memory. Another child’s life is stolen, just like that. Here in South Africa, we are drowning in blood-soaked news stories that echo the same tragic refrain — a child murdered, a child raped, a child gone. And it’s happening so often, we’re becoming numb to it.
I’m talking about Jermerite Ndaya. Just 19 years old. Just three months older than me. She was in her own home when a robber took her life, just like that. And what about the 11-year-old boy, Jayden Lee Meek who went missing on 13 May, then found dead at a flat the next day ? His body still warm, his life already gone. But where were the paramedics? Where was the police? Why did his mother have to fight to get them to do their job? Why do parents have to become warriors just to get justice for their dead children?
It’s like a nightmare we can’t wake up from. And it’s not just here. It’s everywhere. In America, in Asia, in Europe. Children being hunted, raped, and murdered in broad daylight, in their own homes, in schools, on the streets. I’m angry. I’m scared. And I’m tired of pretending that we’re okay. We’re not okay. Our children are not okay.
It’s not just adults hurting kids. Kids are hurting kids. Just the other day, I read about a little girl in a South African school who was raped by other children. Children. Boys as young as eight took her to a bathroom and did things to her that no child should ever know about. And when she screamed, a teacher told her to keep quiet or she’d be beaten. What kind of world is this? What kind of monsters are we raising?
I don’t have kids, but I have younger siblings. And every time I hear another story, my heart stops. I can’t protect them all the time. None of us can. We can’t be everywhere, watching every move. But we can teach them. Teach them to scream. Teach them to run. Teach them to know what’s wrong and to never be ashamed to tell someone. And for those of us who believe, we can pray. Because this world is dark, and our children need a covering.
I don’t care if you’re an atheist, a Christian, a Muslim, or a Buddhist. The truth is, evil is out here hunting our kids, and we need to fight back. Not just with words but with action. Speak up. Share the stories. Protect the vulnerable. And pray. Pray like you’ve never prayed before.
Because one more child dead is one too many. #JusticeForNdaya #JusticeForOurChildren #StopTheViolence #EndChildAbuse #PrayForProtection
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