Throughout the week, I have pondered over this age-long saying that it takes a village to raise a child…

While, I do not quarrel with its foundational meaning, that children are raised by all and not necessarily by their biological parents alone, I am tempted to ask a question, which has lingered in mind, what exactly is the village in this context and does the village understand its divine role?

A child is protected by what we call the four rings of protection in this order, family, community, state and international community. Lets us agree that every member of the ring after from the family is the village. What is the number one role of the village? I think, it is to empower the family to play its primary role of protection. The role of the village is not to take over the foundational role of the family as the chief protector of the child. Where the village fails to empower the family and attempts to take over the role of the family, like we have in Africa today, both the family and the village fail miserably and expose the children to untold abuse. Why? The family and the village are completely out of divine order and nothings guarantee woeful failure like attempting to play a role as a person or organization, which you do not have divine enablement for…

It is in the light of the foregoing that we must attempt to do a brief review of the village’s attempt to raise children in place of the family. Also note that the attempt of the village to raise children in place of the family is in some cases with the consent of the family or even at the request of the family.  Cherif and Said Kouachi, responsible for Charlie Hebdo terror attack were orphans raised by the village, called the state of France; The ‘Underwear Bomber,’ Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Mutalab was raised majorly by the village, called community (boarding school)…

Our research shows that all the men and women, who have been of immense blessings to our world were raised under the protection of the family institution. On the other hand, every man and woman, who have troubled our world were fully or partly raised by the village after the family institution, charged with the primary responsibility of protection fell apart or gives up their primary responsibility…

It is high time we reorder our priorities as a continent. The family must take its divine and exclusive place as the chief protector of our precious children. The village must play its divinely assigned role of empowering the family to play its divine role. The village must look at every area where it is playing the role of the family institution and revert to the divine and original plan. In this counsel and full obidience same that I see a strong present and glorious future for our great nation, Nigeria and endowed continent, Africa…
This is Taiwo Akinlami, sober on his Knees on the LORD’S Day.
http://www.taiwoakinlami.com; @taiwoakinlami; principal@taiwoakinlami.com; 2348033630843