Dads ‘must be on family frontline’

THE failure of fathers to pay maintenance for their children leads to a poor quality of life for many children.

This was the message given by Rene Adams, acting Deputy Director of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health, at the first National Conference on Families in Namibia last week. Adams was speaking on behalf of Minister of Health Richard Kamwi.”A family needs more than food, clothing and shelter.Men should protect their children and wives,” Adams emphasised.”Take responsibility for your families and keep in mind that one of the most important features of a self-sufficient, thriving and happy family is respect, love, acceptance and good principles,” he urged.The UN General Assembly proclaimed May 15 every year as the International Day of Families to focus on family issues worldwide.The three-day conference took place under the theme ‘Fathers and Families, Responsibility and Challenges’.The conference aimed to not only remind men of their roles as fathers, but also to remind them that families are the fundamental units of society.Adams said although families in Namibia were under stress because of factors such HIV-AIDS, changing patterns in marriages and divorces, children should be “provided with the important values and principles of honesty, integrity and respect for the rights of others”.Adams also observed that degeneration among young Namibians was evident, coupled with a high rate of teenage pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse and indecent assaults.”And an indeed worrisome factor which needs to be addressed is the issue of suicide amongst young people,” she said.Speaking at the same occasion, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Namibia, Magda Robalo, advised that father-friendly labour policies be put in place to address paternity issues, flexible work hours and family leave for men, and a work atmosphere that is supportive of family life for both men and women.Adams was speaking on behalf of Minister of Health Richard Kamwi.”A family needs more than food, clothing and shelter.Men should protect their children and wives,” Adams emphasised.”Take responsibility for your families and keep in mind that one of the most important features of a self-sufficient, thriving and happy family is respect, love, acceptance and good principles,” he urged.The UN General Assembly proclaimed May 15 every year as the International Day of Families to focus on family issues worldwide.The three-day conference took place under the theme ‘Fathers and Families, Responsibility and Challenges’.The conference aimed to not only remind men of their roles as fathers, but also to remind them that families are the fundamental units of society.Adams said although families in Namibia were under stress because of factors such HIV-AIDS, changing patterns in marriages and divorces, children should be “provided with the important values and principles of honesty, integrity and respect for the rights of others”.Adams also observed that degeneration among young Namibians was evident, coupled with a high rate of teenage pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse and indecent assaults.”And an indeed worrisome factor which needs to be addressed is the issue of suicide amongst young people,” she said.Speaking at the same occasion, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Namibia, Magda Robalo, advised that father-friendly labour policies be put in place to address paternity issues, flexible work hours and family leave for men, and a work atmosphere that is supportive of family life for both men and women.