There is a WhatsApp message being circulated on social media, in which apparently a father demanded $10,000 from the $40,000 given for his child under the Ministry of Education’s ‘Because We Care’ cash grant. According to him, he is the child’s father and should get a portion of the money.
That is just one of the many stories circulating about the $40,000 being given to every registered child. In the past there have been reports of fathers attacking mothers, demanding the money. In many instances, the parents are no longer together and/or have an acrimonious relationship. I guess we are going to see more fathers registering their children (over 90% of the time this is the mother’s responsibility) as it is the parent whose name is at the school who is given the money. An authorization can also be given to the other parent to uplift the grant.
I wanted to talk about the cash grant because of the many stories I have been hearing and also the undue pressure that I believe especially mothers are under because of this cash. There have been stories of teachers questioning why children were not properly prepared for the new school year given that their grants were collected.
Let’s get one thing straight. Even with the sum being increased to $40,000 many parents would still be hard pressed to fully equip a child for the new school year. Additional money would have to be found especially since some unscrupulous businesses raise the prices for items just around the time that the grant distribution commences. On the other hand, there are some parents who will not spend the money on their children, and you will always find that in any given situation. But I want to believe that the majority of parents (mothers) have their children’s best interest at heart. And who is to tell a mother that she can’t buy groceries with the money? Isn’t the food for the child/children? Should she leave them to starve and just focus on school supplies?
I heard of a child and his grandmother walking down the street and him informing her that he needed quite a few new items. She indicated to him that he already had items in her drawer and that she would just buy a few other things. “The rest of the money going to full up the yard,” she snapped at him.
What is wrong with granny getting some sand and mud to full up a yard that may flood every time it rains? It is the rainy season and ensuring that it is more environmentally safe for the child is in the child’s best interest.
Some are insisting that the money be given in voucher form since it will ensure that the child benefits. That may be true but the child will not only benefit from a new school bag or footwear; there are so many other things the money can be used for in the child’s best interest. So kudos to the ministry for sticking to the decision to give cash.
One mother indicated that she took the money and started a chicken business and now more money is being generated. Another said she purchased a black tank. We all know how important a black tank is when one considers that the water supply in this country is so unpredictable. The children will benefit in the long term.
I have seen some people condemning mothers for shopping for groceries. “She come home with big grocery bags,” one said. What is wrong with that? As I said before, the child has to eat.
One mother who has two school-aged children indicated that she will take the money and purchase some wood from a sawmill as she wanted to “put down something” on a piece of land she has since rent has become too high for her to pay. How can we fault such a mother? She cannot get a bank loan with her salary so she is doing the next best thing.
Another mother told me that she will purchase a small washing machine as the one she has is broken. She works 12-hour shifts as a security guard in an attempt to provide for her children. Are we going to begrudge her trying to make her domestic burden lighter? We all know how burdensome it can be and how a machine helps us because while the clothes are being washed there are so many other chores that can be attended to.
So yes while the money is supposed to assist the child with school supplies there is nothing wrong with it being used to benefit the entire household. I just wish people would stop counting that $40,000 and estimating that it could do the world and more for the child. With rising food prices, that money can hardly feed a family for two weeks. And yes while a mother may have five school aged children and will get $200,000, it also means that there are five children to provide for.
The fact that the cash is being distributed at this time with the present school term still a few weeks from ending increases the likelihood of it not being spent on school supplies. After all, the new school term is some months away. I am sure that some mothers are saying that when the time comes they will find money to buy those school supplies. Why the money is being paid now (well tomorrow is local government elections) is anyone’s guess.
I wrote all of the above to say give mothers a break. $40,000 is not $40 million and what truly matters is that the child benefits in the long run. Outfitting a child for school is expensive, so teachers need to stop embarrassing children by asking them what their mothers did with the cash grant when they don’t have every single item on school lists.
Sisters, spend that cash grant wisely on what you believe is important and will benefit your children.
