BY ALFRED TEMBO
EXCESSIVE protection of the girlchild has left the boy child vulnerable and unattended, claims a Gweru teacher and creative writer.
This is contained in the book titled Abortive Future (2021) written by Dennis Gumi.
Abortive Future (2021) was written by Gumi, who could be anyone as there is no prior history of authorship attached to the name, leaving ardent readers wondering who really this writer is.
Suprisingly, consistency and creative craftmenship tells its story as a piece of work by a seasoned writer.
Through the book, Gumi argue that balance offered protection to both the boy and girlchild and their welfare in the society should never be conditional at all cost.
“I am a trained teacher of English Language with over two decades experince,” Gumi said.
“In writing this book there are several factors that inspired me.
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“The primary reason is that I am working with organisations that support, fund and inspire the girl-child which are all too often, doing well.
“Meanwhile, the boy-child is left to wallow in the visiccitudes of economic hardships. Of course, there are other themes touched on as well.”
Published by Dream Discovery Publishers, Abortive Future, is the first book by Gumi to be published from loads and loads of unpublished manuscripts.
“This is my first piece of creative writing to be published. It was not the first to be written and definitely not the last to be published,” said the Mkoba 1 Secondary School teacher.
Driven by burning passion, Gumi writes despite the prevailing economic instabilities in the country and ignore publishers’ preferences, a trend where most Zimbabwean publishing houses opt to publish educational books and sometimes short story anthologies that feature top-selling contemporary names.
“I deliberately went on to write a full length novel and a chance to do so came sooner than l thought,” Gumi said.
“This project is a result of my burning desire to call upon every stakeholder in child welfare: teachers, the police, parents, the government entities and whoever has children under his or her charge to care as equally for the boy-child as for the girl-child.”
Padare/Enkundleni/Men’s Forum on Gender is one of a few organisations that seeks to balance both boys and girls through its programming on sexual and reproductive health.
Many of their activities conform to sustainable development goals (SGD) number 5 that speaks to gender equality.
In a separate engagement, a local child rights activists said protection and fair treatment should never be conditional in the upbringing of every child.
“There is nothing more central in the upringing of a child than love, fair treatment and family. Let these be provided and preserved as enshrined in our constitution,” said Susan Phiri.
The books comes at a time when most developing countries are grappling with early child marriages and teen pregnancies, putting much of their energy on the protection of girl child.
