Omama Bayazinqoba Izinselele Ababhekana Nazo

INSELELE eyinhloko komama abaningi namuhla ukusebenza ukuze bathole imali yokondla imikhaya yabo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngenxa yezizathu ezithile, abanye kungase kudingeke bazikhulisele izingane zabo bengasizwa muntu.

UMargarita ungumama ongashadile waseMexico okhulisa izingane ezimbili eyedwa. Uthi: “Bekulokhu kunzima kakhulu ukuzifundisa ngoNkulunkulu nangezindinganiso zokuziphatha. Esikhathini esidlule indodana yami eyeve eshumini nambili yafika ekhaya iphuzile ivela emcimbini. Ngayidonsa ngendlebe ngathi uma ike yaphinda yakwenza lokhu ngeke ngiyivulele. Ngakho lapho kwenzeka esikhathini esilandelayo, ngayivalela ngaphandle ngenhliziyo ebuhlungu. Okujabulisayo ukuthi ayizange iphinde.”

Ngemva nje kwalokho uMargarita waqala ukufunda iBhayibheli, okwamsiza ukuba akwazi ukugxilisa izindinganiso zokuziphatha ezinganeni zakhe. Manje zombili izingane zakhe ziyizikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele zoFakazi BakaJehova.

Lapho Abayeni Beya Kwamanye Amazwe

Obaba abaningi emazweni ampofu bathuthela emazweni achumile beyofuna umsebenzi, bashiye omkabo nomthwalo wokukhulisa izingane. ULaxmi, umama waseNepal, uthi: “Sekuphele iminyaka engu-7 umyeni wami ehlala kwelinye izwe. Izingane zilalela uyise kakhulu kunami. Bekuyoba lula kakhulu ukube ubehlale ekhona njalo, ahole.”

Naphezu kwalobu bunzima, uLaxmi uyayinqoba le nselele abhekene nayo. Ngenxa yokuthi akafundile kangako, uye wacela othisha abathile ukuba basize izingane zakhe esezikhulakhulile emsebenzini wazo wesikole. Yena ugxila kakhulu ekuzifundiseni ngoNkulunkulu ngokuziqhubela isifundo seBhayibheli masonto onke. Uxoxa nezingane zakhe nsuku zonke ngetekisi leBhayibheli futhi uya nazo njalo emihlanganweni yobuKristu.

Omama Abangafundile Kangako

Enye inselele ekhona kwamanye amazwe yinani eliphakeme kakhulu labesifazane abangafundile. Ebonisa ubunzima bokuba ngumama ongafundile, u-Aurelia, umama wezingane eziyisithupha eMexico, uyachaza: “Umama wayehlale ethi akufanelekile nje ukuba abesifazane bafunde. Ngakho angizange ngifunde ukuzifundela futhi ngenxa yalokho ngangingakwazi ukusiza izingane zami emsebenzini wazo wesikole wasekhaya. Kwakungizwisa ubuhlungu kakhulu lokho. Kodwa njengoba ngangingafuni ukuba zihlupheke njengami, ngasebenza kanzima ukuze ngizifundise.”

Umama angaba nethonya elikhulu ngisho noma engafundile kangako. Ngakho siqinisile lesi sisho sesiNgisi esithi: “Uma ufundisa abesifazane usuke ufundisa abafundisi bamadoda.” UBishnu, umama onamadodana amathathu eNepal, wayengafundile, kodwa isifiso sakhe sokufunda amaqiniso eBhayibheli okwakuyothi kamuva awafundise izingane zakhe samshukumisela ukuba enze umzamo omkhulu wokufunda ukuzifundela nokubhala. Wayeqikelela ukuthi izingane zakhe ziyawenza umsebenzi wazo wesikole wasekhaya, kanti wayeya njalo nasezikoleni ezifunda kuzo ayoxoxa nothisha ngomsebenzi wazo.

Maqondana nokufundiswa kwazo ngoNkulunkulu nangezindinganiso zokuziphatha, indodana kaBishnu uSilash iyachaza: “Engangikuthanda kakhulu ngemizamo yakhe yokusifundisa ukuthi lapho senze amaphutha, wayesinikeza izibonelo zeBhayibheli ukuze alungise amaphutha ethu. Le ndlela yokufundisa yayiphumelela futhi yangisiza ukuba ngamukele iseluleko.” UBishnu uye waphumelela ekufundiseni amadodana akhe futhi womathathu ayizinsizwa ezesaba uNkulunkulu.

U-Antonia, umama okhulisa izingane ezimbili eMexico, uthi: “Ngafunda ngagcina esikoleni samabanga aphansi nje kuphela. Sasihlala emaphandleni, futhi isikole esiphakeme esasikhona kuleyo ndawo sasikude kakhulu. Kodwa ngangifuna izingane zami zithole imfundo engcono kunami, ngenxa yalokho nganikela isikhathi sami esiningi kuzona. Ngazifundisa izinhlamvu zamagama nezinombolo. Indodakazi yami ingakayi nasesikoleni, yayisikwazi ukubhala igama layo nokubhala zonke izinhlamvu zamagama. Kanti indodana yami yona yayisikwazi ukufunda kahle ngesikhathi iqala ukuya enkulisa.”

Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi yini ayeyenza ukuze afundise izingane zakhe ngoNkulunkulu nangezindinganiso zokuziphatha, u-Antonia uyachaza: “Ngangizifundisa ngezindaba zeBhayibheli. Ingakakwazi nakukhuluma, indodakazi yami yayisikwazi ukulandisa izindaba zeBhayibheli ikhuluma ngezandla. Kanti indodana yami yona yaqala ukubeka inkulumo yokufundwa kweBhayibheli emihlanganweni yethu yobuKristu ineminyaka emine ubudala.” Omama abaningi abangafundile bayifeza kahle kakhulu indima yabo yokufundisa.

Ukumelana Namasiko Alimazayo

Ngokwesiko lawo, amaTzotzil aseMexico adayisa amadodakazi awo ngokuwashadisa eneminyaka engu-12 noma engu-13 ubudala. Ngokuvamile amantombazane adayiselwa indoda esindala kakhulu efuna unkosikazi wesibili noma wesithathu. Uma le ndoda ingagculiseki kahle ngale ntombazane, ingayibuyisela kubo bese ibuyiselwa imali yayo. Kwakumelwe kwenziwe leli siko nakuPetrona eseyingane. Unina naye wadayiselwa othile ukuba abe umkakhe, wathola umntwana futhi wahlukanisa—konke lokhu kwenzeka eneminyaka engu-13! Leyo ngane kamama kaPetrona yashona, wayesebuye edayiswa kabili ngemva kwalokho. Wathola izingane ezingu-8 sezizonke.

UPetrona wayengafuni ukuba kwenzeke lokhu ekuphileni kwakhe futhi uyachaza ukuthi wasinda kanjani: “Lapho ngiqeda esikoleni samabanga aphansi, ngatshela umama ukuthi ngifuna ukuqhubeka nesikole futhi angikufuni ukushada. Umama wathi angikhulume nobaba ngale ndaba ngoba akukho yena ayengakwenza.”

Ubaba wathi: “Ngizokushadisa mina. Usuyakwazi manje ukukhuluma iSpanishi. Kanti usuyakwazi nokufunda. Pho usafunani? Uma ufuna ukufunda, kuzodingeka uzikhokhele ngokwakho imali yesikole.”

“Ngenza lokho kanye,” kuchaza uPetrona. “Ngangifekethisa izindwangu ukuze ngithole imali yokukhokhela izindleko zokufunda.” Wasinda ngaleyo ndlela-ke ekudayisweni. Kamuva lapho uPetrona esekhulile, unina waqala ukufunda iBhayibheli, futhi lokhu kwamenza waba nesibindi sokugxilisa izindinganiso zokuziphatha ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini kodadewabo bakaPetrona abamelamayo. Esebenzisa okwamehlela, umama kaPetrona wakwazi ukufundisa izingane zakhe ezibonisa imiphumela edabukisayo yaleli siko lokudayisa amantombazane ngokuwashadisa esemancane.

Ngokwelinye isiko elivamile kubantu abaningi, ngubaba kuphela ekhaya okufanele ayale amadodana akhe. UPetrona uyachaza: “Abesifazane besizwe samaTzotzil bafundiswa ukuthi bangaphansi kwabantu besilisa. Amadoda angomakhonya. Abafana balingisa oyise, bese bethi konina: ‘Awunagunya lokungitshela ukuthi ngenzeni. Uma ubaba engasho ukuthi angenzeni, ngeke ngilalele.’ Ngakho omama abavunyelwe ukuba bafundise amadodana abo. Kodwa njengoba umama esefunde iBhayibheli, uye waphumelela ekufundiseni abafowethu. Baye bafunda ukuwasho ngekhanda amazwi asencwadini yabase-Efesu 6:1, 2: ‘Bantwana, lalelani abazali benu. . . . Hlonipha uyihlo nonyoko.’”

UMary, umama waseNigeria, naye uyaphawula: “Lapho ngakhulela khona, isiko labantu bakhona alibavumeli omama ukuba bafundise noma baqeqeshe abafana. Kodwa mina, ngilandela isibonelo sikaLowisi no-Evnike—ugogo kanye nonina kaThimothewu—ngazimisela nje ukuthi ngeke ngivumele la masiko endawo angenze ngingazifundisi izingane zami.”—2 Thimothewu 1:5.

Kanti elinye isiko elivamile kwamanye amazwe yilelo abanye abalibiza ngokuthi “ukusokwa kwabesifazane,” manje okuvame ukubizwa ngokuthi ukucwiywa kwezitho zobulili zabesifazane (female genital mutilation [FGM]) Kule nqubo kusikwa ingxenyana ethile noma ingxenye enkulu yezitho zobulili zentombazane. Owadalula leli siko nguWaris Dirie, umkhangisi wezingubo odumile futhi oyinxusa elikhethekile le-United Nations Population Fund. Ngokuvumelana naleli siko labantu baseSomalia, lapho uWaris Dirie eseyingane unina wavuma ukuba ukuba acwiywe isitho sobulili. Ngokomunye umbiko, abesifazane namantombazane abaphakathi kwezigidi eziyisishiyagalombili neziyishumi eMpumalanga Ephakathi nase-Afrika basengozini yokucwiywa izitho zobulili. Ngisho nase-United States, amantombazane angaba ngu-10 000 asengozini.

Iziphi izinkolelo okusekelwe kuzo lo mkhuba? Abanye abantu bacabanga ukuthi izitho zobulili zabesifazane zinesono nokuthi zenza intombazane ibe engahlanzekile, kanjalo ingakufanelekeli ukushada. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukusika, noma ukususa izitho zobulili kubhekwa njengesiqiniseko sokuthi le ngane iyohlala iyintombi emsulwa futhi ithembekile. Uma umama ehluleka ukugqugquzela ukuba kwenziwe leli siko enganeni yakhe kungase kuthukuthelise umyeni wakhe nomphakathi.

Nokho, omama abaningi sebeyaqonda manje ukuthi akukho sizathu esizwakalayo—esenkolo, esodokotela, noma esezempilo—esisekela le nqubo ebuhlungu. Incwadi yaseNigeria ethi Repudiating Repugnant Customs yembula ukuthi omama abaningi baye benqaba ngesibindi ukuba kwenziwe leli siko emadodakazini abo.

Ngempela, omama emhlabeni jikelele bayaphumelela ekuvikeleni nasekufundiseni izingane zabo naphezu kwezinselele eziningi ababhekana nazo. Ingabe imizamo abayenzayo iyaziswa ngempela?

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“Ukucwaninga okuningi okuye kwenziwa kuye kwabonisa ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuthi ayikho indlela yokuletha intuthuko ngokuphumelelayo uma abesifazane bengenandima ebalulekile. Uma abesifazane behileleke ngokugcwele, izinzuzo zibonakala ngokushesha: imikhaya iba nempilo engcono futhi yondleke kahle; imali engenayo ekhaya, imali abayifaka ebhange kanye nabayitshala ngenjongo yokuba izale kakhulu iyanda. Futhi le miphumela ebonakala emikhayeni iyabonakala nasemiphakathini, kuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ibonakale nasezweni lonkana.”—UNobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene uKofi Annan, ngo-March 8, 2003.

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UN/DPI photo by Milton Grant

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Wazidela Ngenxa Yethu

Insizwa ethile yaseBrazil, uJuliano, ithi: “Lapho ngineminyaka emihlanu, umama wayenza umsebenzi onekusasa eliqhakazile. Nokho, lapho ethola udadewethu wanquma ukuwuyeka lo msebenzi ukuze akwazi ukusinakekela. Abeluleki emsebenzini bazama ukumbonisa ukuthi angawuyeki umsebenzi. Bathi lapho izingane zakhe sezishadile futhi sezihambile ekhaya, konke azenzele kona kuyoba yize leze, besho nokuthi uchitha isikhathi sakhe entweni engeke imzuzise ngalutho ngomuso. Kodwa ngingasho ngithi babenza iphutha; ngeke nanini ngiyikhohlwe indlela alubonisa ngayo uthando lwakhe.”

[Isithombe]

Umama kaJuliano enezingane zakhe; kwesobunxele: UJuliano lapho eseneminyaka eyisihlanu

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UBishnu wafunda ukuzifundela nokubhala wayesesiza amadodana akhe ukuba athole imfundo enhle

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Indodana ka-Antonia encane inikeza izinkulumo zokufundwa kweBhayibheli emihlanganweni yobuKristu

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UPetrona uyisisebenzi sokuzithandela ehhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eMexico. Unina, owagcina esenguFakazi, ufundisa izingane ezelama uPetrona

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UWaris Dirie ungumkhulumeli owaziwayo wenhlangano ethile omelene nokucwiywa kwezitho zobulili zabesifazane

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Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images