By Oreva Godwin
she reminded them all that her sacrifices pulled them out of poverty, but one of her sisters fired back: “We didn’t force you. There were other ways to make money. We too were ashamed of having a sister who sells her body.” Ada left the meeting devastated. After 21 years of sacrificing everything, she felt discarded like trash.
It is a shame when parents exploit their children. In Nigeria, we often hear things like: “Marry early, so you won’t be doing school runs at old age.” But I say: Don’t have children unless you are financially and emotionally prepared.
This mindset of rushing into marriage and procreation, even when you can barely feed yourself, has created a generation of exploited children, many of whom are now criminals, sex workers, or emotionally damaged.
Even if parents don’t directly ask their children to sell their bodies or commit fraud, life and their expectations can push them into it.
Not everyone is meant to be a parent. Let’s stop being a disgrace to parenthood. Your children are not your escape from poverty.
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