The Mt Kenya Times 
By: Paula .O.M Otukile
A child of 12 years to 18 years is still under the supervision of adults, no one must take advantage of the child.
At grade six, girls tend to have puberty earlier than boys because their body developments seem to be more visible.
However puberty stage comes at the same age but different times on various people. The hormonal changes will make a girl child to change in her body, and obviously some behavioral change can occur too.
In Africa it is not common to talk to children about their body changes, their emotions and even sex education, hence making this stage very confusing and hard. Some see for themselves and the rest use the little information from school about what is happening. A few lucky ones get proper enlightening of what is transpiring.
More than a half of teenage girls have children or unwanted pregnancy because they lacked knowledge of contraception and sexual awareness.
Some act out, date early and are very rebellious but this naughty child could be tamed if intervention was done earlier through behavioral change education and emancipation message of waiting for being an adult before indulging in Pre-marital sex.
In some social circles a fourteen year old can be deemed to be naughty, when the daughter is simply on the wrong path of trying to experiment with sex, alcohol, dating at a very tender age. Some bigger boys tend to sleep or entice the so called naughty girls, and the abuse goes on without any intervention. We must protect a girl child.
You must be a brother’s keeper, and a sister’s keeper, not a future destroyer. There can be a narrative that the girl is lose, how can a teen be loose, yes she can be lost, but as village or ward brother, isn’t this your niece or child? If we can be responsible for our homes, ward, community, village, country, then world shall be a better place.
Stop abusing girls and rendering them naughty.
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