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"content": "and love of both parents. However, the Government, the State or the legislatures have also come to the reality that there are situations where the young persons need special care and protection from the State itself because their parents are either not in a position to take care of them or they are too sick. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in some cases, we find some young persons or teenagers who are heads of the families and who, themselves, are parents. Sometimes the parents are so old, weak or sick that they cannot give any care. Just the other day when I was first giving an interview in one of the television stations, there was a lady from the Parents Association who told me that they are now coming up with a parent’s manual. When we were becoming parents, we did not have that manual to read, saying that these are the stages that you will be going though with your child. We learnt on our own. We learnt through the doctors, neighbours and many other people. We know every situation is different. Therefore, that is why we need everyone’s expertise. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we need programmes which will help the children attain all that they require. I am aware that that the Government has tried to come up with policies geared towards improving the wellbeing of these young people. For example, there is the adolescence reproductive health care programme which came up in 2003. It has been in force for quite some time. Since I presented the Reproductive Health Care Bill, it has come up clearly that, that policy needs to be renegotiated and amended; further consultations should go on so that we take care of all these needs. These are instances where the children have been exposed. They need protection and education on how to cater for their health. When you talk about the young persons or adolescents, we are talking about growing up or the whole process that makes you a human being. These are children who are coming from one stage to the other. They are no longer babies, but they are not adults yet. They are just teenagers and we need to understand them. That is why in my Bill, I have said that the adolescent friendly reproductive health care services should include a lot of counseling. This is counseling on issues of growing up, issues of why they should not engage in unsafe abortions and all those things; counseling on drug and substance abuse and all these things which will injure them and make them become a bit more careless. They need to know what it means to have relationships. There are lady to lady relationships or even relationship with a person from the opposite gender. However, they must know their limits. We have to teach them, not only spiritual, but also moral values. The last time I was presenting something in a public place, someone told me from the crowd “start with the adults, we must teach them moral values. They are the ones who are abusing these young children of ours”. Yes, I agree. We must go back to the drawing board and find; out where did we go wrong? Why are our children going astray? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, just as I believe I have read this Motion; it is not blaming the children. It is not victimizing them, but it is a means of protecting them, helping them grow, helping them understand and deal with the pain and bitterness which they have found themselves in. Being a parent, having gone through the pain of childbirth, I know that a 10 year old or a 13 year old should not go through such excruciating pain, the aftermath and the way even the body becomes. I remember there The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}