FOR GIRLS ONLY

“Good day, my name is Happy. I am 5ft and I need a man to call mine. I am 22 years old and some months. Please help get a nice and handsome man.” For some inexplicable reason, a young girl who copied my number from this column sent me the above text.

I told her that I was not a pimp and thus shouldn’t send me such messages. Out of curiosity, I asked her why she sounded so desperate for a man when she should be concentrating on more important things- e.g. securing her future with a good education or other form of positive empowerment. But guess what her reply was? Her parents are poor, thus, she is tasked with the responsibility of funding her studies.

But the text does not read “please help me get a nice, handsome and RICH man.” How does Happy intend to keep being happy and be empowered to fund her education by seeking a nice and handsome man?

Understandably, not necessarily acceptable, some youths in this generation are termed nymphomaniac, a very noxious challenge of our time, and the cravings for materialism is skyrocketing by the minute. You will be shocked at the things girls do for money these days- thanks to the increase of “poor” parentage in our society. Or is it the taste of youths that have become too expensive for humble parents to meet up with?

Amidst all of these, young girls are being fed with lies that are derailing their priorities in life. One of such is that all they need to be happy is to have a man- an aristo/a sugar daddy and its likes. This misconception about life has driven so many girls into self-destructive measure, leaving them emotionally and psychologically unstable.

More than ever before, it has become very crucial for parents, guardians, mentors, and stakeholders on youth and women affairs to teach Happy and all other young girls (including myself- can’t stop learning) from a fresh perspective, that their worth is not validated by the number of men that have laid claim on them. Thus, their energy should be redirected towards self-discovery and self-development in order to be like graceful pillars carved to beautify a place and be truly productive.