Trinidadian Pastor Proclaims on Incidents of Child Neglect
By Claudia Liburd
Trinidad Reporter-SKNVibes.com
(Port-of-Spain, Trinidad) --- After several incidents of child neglect appeared on headlines in local media, Trinidadian clergyman at the Church of God Centre of Ministries located in Malabar, Arima has proclaimed on the causal factors surrounding abandonment of children.
Clergyman Clinton Noel Providence has attributed these episodes to lack of understanding and responsibility on the part of parents and caregivers. “I personally believe that people do not understand what it means to be a parent. Secondly, those people who take on the responsibility of being caregivers are just doing it for the money. They do not understand the responsibility that someone in that position must live up to. They just take it for a job. The parent or parents must make sure that the person that they hire is morally qualified.
“Secondly if the person who is hired is in really in for the responsibility they would not leave a 4 year old unattended. It speaks to the level of parenting and that is where it begins in our country; how seriously people take parenting and their accountability in parenting because they do not see themselves as accountable to anyone”, said Mr. Providence during an exclusive interview with SKNVibes.com.
In an effort to alleviate the effects of child neglect Providence further suggested education of parents and caregivers alike. He continued, “First thing that we have to do is educate people. We need to educate people in general and parents in particular. Parents have to be willing to be educated. Unless they internalize information and provide accommodation for it in their lives they will continue the neglect and abuse of our nation’s children. ~~Adz:Right~~
The issue of change begins with people because whether it is the government, the NGO’s or the church we are just change agents. It is the person or persons concerned who must have that mindset to change the way they operate with children. If they do not come to that point where they understand that they must change it does not matter how much education you give them…they will not change.”
With reference to local legislation Providence noted there should stronger enforcement of local laws regarding child abandonment. “We need to put something in place so that parents and caregivers and people who neglect and abuse children ought to be made to pay some very heavy penalties. Legislation should be enforced in the form of removing children from homes that have proven to be abusive should be enforced. I think that the reason that we are in this situation of child neglect is because God is left out of the equation he is not considered when we talk about children rights.
“We do not send our children to church enough to be exposed to spiritual, biblical and moral values and so when these children grow up they become parents who do not have anything to give to their children. So it is a vicious cycle and there is a vacuum. Once spirituality is not in the home it will not be in the nation and child neglect is one of the consequences of that”, said clergyman Providence in closing.
