Do Something About Child Drowning

We carry in this issue the story of a seven-year-old boy who drowned with others while swimming. It is difficult to lose a child.

It is also scary to know that your little boy or girl's corpse spent the night at the bottom of a fish infested river or lake while your family took the night frantically searching for the child. But is there nothing that can be done to prevent children drowning in areas where they should not have been in the first place?

First let us look at dams or lakes right in the middle of villages. Some are really craters dug by people who illegally mined sand. Now no one is willing to take responsibility to cover them, if only to save the many lives of children in those villages. Not the VDC and certainly not the Council. Then there are rivers that are notorious for drowning incidents. It beats reason that while village authorities are aware of such places no effort is made to at least reduce the likelihood of children venturing into such dangerous places. Efforts could include fencing off the water holes and keeping a guard at the area, especially if children appear not to pay heed. Village committees, teachers, chiefs, police and parents should all play a role in teaching children to steer clear of water bodies unless they have full parental supervision. Parents, especially those who live closer to rivers, dams and lakes should also take it upon themselves to ensure their children go straight home from school. But then again that may not always be possible. As such it becomes necessary that children are properly instructed to keep away from water - be it in rivers, dams or lakes, even if the parents think their children can swim. Back in time, a child's parent was any adult. Any parent who found children swimming had a duty to take a stick and punish the children. In this way children knew that they would get punished if they played in a dangerous place. It is strange that the children are reported to have been seen by a man who simply told them not to play in the water. Had that man had a sense of responsibility, he would not have simply told the children not to play in the water, but would have ensured that they left before he could leave. Seven-year-olds are really babies, and an adult would have many ways of scaring them, without using a stick. The Borolong death is but one among many this year. But such deaths can surely be prevented with proper education, guidance from home and a sense of responsibility by village authorities and all adults. We need to all stand up to save the child.

Editor's Comment
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