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| Bishop Method Kilaini |
The Bishop Chairman of the Laity Council in the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Rt. Rev. Bishop Desiderius Rwoma said that ever-increasing problem of street children is becoming a major challenge of the present society.
In his message delivered on his behalf by Rt. Rev Method Kilaini, Auxiliary Bishop of Bukoba at the opening of the AMECEA Conference of the Laity on 26th November 2014, Bishop Rwoma said that having nobody that cares for them, deprives them the opportunities for schooling and they end up in child labour.
“Child labour can also enslave them and some of the girls end up with immoral businesses,” he said adding that “We could say poverty is the major problem of these all but the increasing of street children and child labour can also be ingrained in the social - cultural and economic structures of societies.”
Bishop Rwoma outlined other challenges facing the Church and the society at large. These includes over - indulgence in alcohol and drug addiction which impairs the capacity to think and to manage family life; failure of parents to prepare a family budget which leads children to end up in the worst forms of child labour and other immoral activities due to lack of education; “Sometime a failure to prepare a family budget leads parents to treat their children as source of income,” he said.
Bishop Rwoma said that the best way is to help our people to be aware of this situation and to build a civilised society which cannot countenance things like child slavery, forced child labour, child trafficking, child prostitution, child pornography, child soldiers and all other forms of hazardous and exploitative work by children.
He passed a word of thanks to families whose Catholic women are engaging in supporting street children, fighting against Female genital mutilation (FGM), and supporting Church Institutions like seminaries and houses of formation. “A word of thanks also goes to families whose catholic men under guidance of" Unum Omnes" are tirelessly funding construction, renovation of Churches, Fathers and Sisters houses, and education of the youth in Seminaries, lay institutions and houses of formation.
Bishop Rwoma was grateful for AMECEA for granting Tanzania the honour to host this very important conference which brought Lay leaders from AMECEA countries. “On behalf of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (T.E.C.) and on behalf of the Catholic Church in Tanzania, I welcome you all to our country,” he said adding that “Please feel at home and enjoy the breeze of the Indian Ocean; Karibuni sana!
SOURCE: Fr Chrisantus Ndaga, AMECEA Social Communication from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania