Poet takes on absent fathers
Maureen Odubeng | Thursday March 9, 2017 15:14
The poetry session penned for March 25, 2017 at Sowa Town Recreational Hall will feature performances by Curveceous, Tseke Tseke, Mr Hulela and others.
Curveceous said she found it necessary to come up with the initiative, because she knows all about the hardships of growing up without a father, from her own personal experience.
“I was brought up by my mother only, and my father was not actively involved in my life,” she said.
She said many of the children raised by single parents struggle, emotionally, and sometimes it extends to financial hardships, because the single parent is not able to meet all their financial needs.
“It used to affect me in school, and when playing with other children and I hear them talking about their fathers, and to me at the time it seemed they were bragging, because they knew my father was not part of my life, and sometimes I became jealous of them, wishing my father could also be a part of my life,” she said.
Curveceous who is now a married woman with her own family said she believes every child has a right to have a relationship with, and support from both parents, regardless of whether the parents are together or not.
“Some children grow up under really harsh conditions because one parent has neglected their responsibility to take care of their children,” she said.
She said she has gathered school shoes, which she will donate to the disadvantaged mostly children brought up by single parents, and orphans.
She explained that she is in the process of establishing a foundation, dedicating to giving support to children brought up by single parents.
She said the foundation would give the children counselling, and also offer services to children who want to find their fathers. She emphasised that the children’s right to get love and support from both parents should be protected at all costs.
“Some children grow up with scars, asking themselves why their fathers rejected them or don’t want them, so this foundation will offer emotional support to such children, and try and mend relationships with their fathers if possible,” she said
Moreover, the foundation will also help single parents who struggle to put food on the table.