Parents have the responsibility to protect their children & to teach them to make healthy choices

What would you do if you found out that the person who is helping you to support your family is doing so in order to get closer, and establish a sexual relationship, with your daugher/grand-daughter/niece?

Would you end your association with this person, even if it means losing your means to make a living and pay for a roof over your head and to feed your whole family? Or would you stay quiet about it, and let your daughter decide on what she wants?

Many parents who are poor face this challenge. Sometimes the parent does not realise what is happening until much later, when the child is slready involved in a transactional relationship.  Some parents choose to stay silent, adopting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with their children.

Some teenagers may refuse to end the relationship even if the parents insist that they do so, because they feel that exchanging sex for material benefits is the only option open for them, especially when the person with the money also pay for their school fees, buys school uniform, clothes, food and even some luxuries.

Watch the promo video of Against the Odds, a Namibian short film which deals with the issue

Find out when Against the Odds is being broadcast by the national broadcaster in your country.

Talk about it

What can we, as responsible parents and citizens, do to curb these kinds of relationships?

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