Izingane Ezilahliwe Nezibaleka Emakhaya
“NGAGUNDA izinwele, ngagqoka njengendoda, ngafaka imigexo nezingidi entanyeni, ngafaka isiqhano esihlathini, futhi ngaqala kanjalo ukuphila njengesifebe.”—UTamara.
Uma wawungabona uTamara emigwaqweni, wawungacabanga yini ukuthi wayengosemusha onesizungu, oxhashaziwe onokuphila okwakuntula ukunakekelwa nothando ayeludinga? Ingabe wawungacabanga ukuthi ungumvukeli ochukuluza umthetho futhi mhlawumbe ofuna ukuphila njengesigebengu? UTamara utshela i-Phaphama! izenzakalo ezithusayo ezaholela ekuphileni akuphila kusukela lapho eneminyaka engu-14, indlela yokuphila ayengakaze ayifise.
Izingane Ezilahliwe
UTamara uyalandisa: “Ngakhulela edolobhaneni elisentabeni e-Italy, emkhayeni owawungenalo uthando. Ngeshwa, ngazibonela mathupha izingxabano ezaziqubuka phakathi kwabazali bami nokuthukana kwabo ngalesosikhathi. Ngokuvamile ngangigcina sengihilelekile kulengxabano bese ubaba ononya engibhaxabula kabuhlungu. Ngangivame ukuba namaphuphusi amasonto amaningi.
“Lapho ngineminyaka engu-14, ubaba wanginika imadlana nethikithi lesitimela lokuya edolobheni eliseduze, lapho kwakunezigemegeme eziningi khona. Ngakha ubungane nenye intsha enjengami, eyayingenamuntu onesithakazelo kuyo. Iningi lethu laba imilutha yotshwala. Ngaqhosha, ngangaba nanhlonipho, futhi ngaba nochuku. Ngangivame ukubulawa indlala. Ngobunye ubusuku basebusika mina nabangane bami sabasa ifenisha ukuze sifudumale. Ngangingathanda kakhulu ukuba nomkhaya onginakekelayo, onesithakazelo endleleni engizizwa ngayo, ezinkathazweni zami, nasekwesabeni kwami. Kodwa ngangingedwa, ngingedwa ngempela.”
Kunamakhulu ezinkulungwane afana “noTamara” ezweni lanamuhla. Ezwekazini ngalinye, kunezingane ezishiywe dengwane abazali abangayinaki imithwalo yabo yemfanelo.
Izingane Ezibaleka Emakhaya
Ezinye izingane zinquma ukushiya ikhaya ngoba “limane liyindawo esabeka kakhulu ukuba zingahlala kuyo; libangela ubuhlungu obukhulu, liyingozi kakhulu, bese zibalekela emigwaqweni.”—New York State Journal of Medicine.
Lapho eneminyaka engu-9 ubudala, uDomingos washiywa dengwane ekhaya lezintandane lapho unina ephinda eshada. Ngenxa yokushaywa abapristi, wenza isu lokweqa. Unina wamlanda, kodwa usingayise wayemshaya njalo. Ukubaleka ekhaya kwakuwukuphela kwendlela ayithola yokukhululeka esihlukwini ayesithola ekhaya.
Ngokudabukisayo, “izigidi zezingane azinakubethemba abantu abadala basekhaya ukuze zithole ngisho nokulondeka okuncane,” kubhala u-Anuradha Vittachi encwadini yakhe ethi Stolen Childhood—In Search of the Rights of the Child. Futhi uyabhala: “Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kufa izingane ezintathu ngosuku ngenxa yokuxhashazwa abazali bazo e-United States.” Ezimweni eziningi, ingane iyoniwa ngokobulili esikhundleni sokuba ivikelwe ilungu lomkhaya.
Ziyaxhashazwa Futhi Zizwiswe Ubuhlungu
UDomingos waphoqeleleka ukuba ahlale nezinye izingane zasemgwaqweni ezazihileleke ekuphangeni nasekwebeni, kanye nasekusebenziseni kabi izidakamizwa nokuzidayisa. Ngokudabukisayo, abaningi ababalekela izimo ezimbi ekhaya baxhashazwa abantu abasebenzela izifebe, abanukubezi bezingane, nezikhungo zezithombe zobulili ezingcolile. Zilambile futhi zinesizungu, lezizingane zinikezwa indawo yokuhlala futhi zithenjiswe ukuthi zizohlala nomuntu omdala “onakekelayo,” bese zithola ukuthi zikhokha ngemizimba yazo ekuphileni kobufebe. Njengoba zingenawo amakhono emisebenzi, eziningi zifunda ukuphila emigwaqweni nganoma iyiphi indlela ezingaphila ngayo, kuhlanganise ukuyengwa nokuyenga ngokobulili. Ezinye azisindi. Izisulu eziningi zentsha zibulawa izidakamizwa, utshwala, ukubulawa, nokuzibulala.
Ekhuluma ngokuphila kwezingane zasemgwaqweni, omunye owayeyisifebe lapho eseyingane wathi: “Kuyesabeka lapha emigwaqweni. Phela, okungicasulayo ukuthi lapho [abantu] abaningi bebona ingane ilele esitimeleni, noma beyibona izulazula emigwaqweni ngaso sonke isikhathi, bacabanga ukuthi yingoba zifuna ukwenza kanjalo. Manje njengoba sengimdala, angiboni ngaleyondlela. Ngayinye yalezizingane idinga usizo ngendlela yayo ekhethekile. Azifuni ukuba njalo, kodwa abazali bazo abazifuni.”
Ukufuna “Inkululeko”
Kunamanye amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezingane okubikwa ukuthi adukile emakhaya aye ayengelwa emigwaqweni inkululeko acabanga ukuthi ikhona lapho. Amanye afuna ukukhululeka ebumpofini. Amanye afuna ukukhululeka egunyeni labazali nasemithethweni acabanga ukuthi iqine kakhulu.
Omunye osemusha owanambitha lokho okubizwa ngokuthi ukukhululeka ekulawulweni abazali nasezimisweni zasekhaya lobuKristu kwakungu-Emma. Njengoba ahamba ekhaya ukuze ahlale nabangane bakhe, waba isigqila sezidakamizwa. Kodwa ngemva kokubhekana nonya lwasemigwaqweni, u-Emma wazwakalisa isifiso sokubuyela ekhaya futhi ayeke umkhuba wakhe wokusebenzisa izidakamizwa. Nokho, ngokudabukisayo akazange abunqamule ubuhlobo nabangane bakhe ababi, futhi ngobunye ubusuku basehlobo enabangane bakhe, bazijova nge-heroin. Kwakuyithuba lokugcina ku-Emma. Waquleka futhi wafa ngakusasa, eyedwa futhi “abangane” bakhe bemshiyile.
Lingaba ngcono yini ikusasa lezingane ezihlukunyezwa abazali bazo noma abanye abantu? Liyoke libe khona yini izwe elingasoze liyixhaphaze intsha? Yiliphi ithemba elikhona lokuthi ukuphila komkhaya kungenziwa ngcono futhi kujatshulelwe ukuze izingane zingafisi ukubaleka emakhaya? Izimpendulo zingatholakala esihlokweni esilandelayo.