Every year when May rolls around, we celebrate Child Month. However, throughout the entire year, awful things happen to the children of Jamaica. In recent years, there have been implementations that would want to gloss over these occurences as well as genuine attempts to make children's lives better.

One of these attempts by the government came during the 2007-2008 budget presentations by Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller. Madam prime minister announced that health-care will be provided "free of cost" for children up to the age of 18 years. In this one announcement, all fees, including for registration, hospital and medication, were removed for minors in all public hospitals except for University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). TEENage applauds this move.

On another note, the preparations for the annual Children's Expo is in full swing. This event that usually targets children 12 years and under is now hosting events wherein everyone - young, in between and old - can participate. This expo will include career seminars and news talk among other informative proceedings. In essence, for the first time, the seminar not only targets the youngsters of Jamaica, but the older generation as well.

Also, coming into effect this year, is a recommendation of the Education Task Force Report- the Ministry of Education will begin dismantling the shift system in schools as early as September. TEENage welcomes this effort.

However, though these developments will improve the well-being of our youths, it would almost spell blindness if the authorities believe these areas are the only one that need fixing.
It is a reality that our children are being mistreated and are left to suffer everyday.

Nowadays, it is a sad, but true fact that there is an increasing number of teenage girls bearing two or more children. Recently, it was brought to the attention of Jamaicans that a 17-year-old from St Elizabeth lost one of her children in a fire which engulfed her home made of ply-boards. It was said that she left the two children at home unattended.

The surviving child, a four-year-old, has since been taken into a government place of safety. The children's mother is also pregnant with a third child. With this information being brought to the attention of the government, is it not the time for them to be taking a drastic step to stop history from repeating? And there many more cases like that all across Jamaica.

Another issue raised while having our weekly editorial meeting, was child labour in Jamaica. TEENage can say without apology that there are thosands of children on the roads earning bed for themselves and their families. We, as TEENs, see them whenever we are on our way to school, going home from the cinema and shopping with our parents/guardians in the plazas. And, it is painful to realise that those children cannot have a similar existence.

What is worse, is the fact that everyday, children are being sold and traded in order to provide for the entire family. If you can recall the incident in St Elizabeth where a 12-year-old girl's parents traded her for a plot of land. Children are being exploited and subjected to humiliation like this everyday.
So, the next time we commemorate Child's Month, let us think about what has happened to the children of Jamaica and decide whether we have something to celebrate.

Executive Class

Gardens with Gravel

Necessary Luxury