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Take the lead in sex education, Kwale clerics tell parents

Kwale clerics chair Sheikh Rajab Ndaro addresses a prize-giving ceremony at the Madrasa tul Munawar in Tiwi on May 11, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

By Mishi Gongo | Sunday, May 12, 2024

They say parents shy away from talking to their children about sexual and reproductive health, causing them to seek this information from inexperienced friends and the internet.

Clerics in Kwale County have urged parents to take the lead in sex education to lower the high number of teenage pregnancies reported in the county.

They said parents shy away from talking to their children about sexual and reproductive health, causing them to seek this information from inexperienced friends, and the internet, where they may find misleading results.

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Kwale clerics chair Sheikh Rajab Ndaro asked parents to supervise their children's phone usage to prevent them from being lured into immoral activities and visiting inappropriate websites.

"If a child has to use a phone, then let the usage be restricted. As much as the internet is educational, it can also ruin a child's life," he said during a prize-giving ceremony at the Madrasa tul Munawar in Tiwi on Saturday, adding that many are misled by their friends.

In Islam, premarital sex is among the greatest sins so it is forbidden.

Ustadh Mohammed Juma, of Madrasa tul Munawar in the Tiwi area of Kwale County, addresses a prize-giving ceremony at the Madrasa Tul Munawar in Tiwi on May 11, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo)

Assistant chair Sheikh Juma Lomba noted that parents are better placed to nurture and teach children about life.

"Spend time with your children. Instill good virtues in them and do not shy away from teaching them about the importance of preserving their purity. Most children learn from the internet rather than from their guardians and parents," he said

Sheikh Juma added that this responsibility also lies with madrasa teachers, so he asked parents to enrol their children in these classes, which he noted also teach spirituality.

Najma Ali, a madrasa teacher at Maganyakulo, said parents put more focus on the girl child, leaving out the boy.

"Parents put more energy into taking care of a girl child because they are afraid she will bring shame to the family when she gets pregnant, but the boy child also needs guidance because it is they who impregnate girls, so if they are armed with the right knowledge, teen pregnancies will be prevented," Najma said.

She added that many boys engage in crime and drug abuse when they are not guided into making good decisions.

"A parent gets concerned when a girl child is not home by 6 pm but doesn't care when a boy stays out late. This mentality should stop. Boys and girls all need parental guidance," she said.