Thank God Friday was almost over! I could rest my tired bones and take Kwamina my eight year old nephew to Accra Central for that shopping spree promised months ago. The bubbly Kwamina woke me up eight times before the clock struck seven in the morning on Saturday to remind me of our appointment!
After some few rounds in the capital, I sensed my bubbly nephew had become redrawn and seemed uninterested in shopping. His answer to my queries game me a shock! Kwamina asked if I could lend him twenty five Cedis instead of spending money on shopping. When I probed further he replied “Aunty I need twenty five Cedis for a Penal Enlargement”!
Who would ever believe that an eight year old boy would demand for an enlargement at the expense of his toy car which he has dreamed of for so long! I found out later that he had read an inscription on a wall in the heart of the capital advertising a solution to small Penis – Penal enlargement for only twenty-five Cedis! Since Kwamina had seen his older brother Kojo with a bigger one, he thought if his penis was enlarged, he could become a big boy like him and get to drive his Daddy’s car! Barely out of my shock, I had to devise a counter speech to “straighten” my little boy before things got out of hand!
That evening, I couldn’t help but wonder what our children are being fed through uncontrolled advertisement in Ghana. Every street and wall seems to have some form of A4 sheet advertisement or poster for one sexual condition or the other, newspaper stands have become mini red-light districts where children are allowed entry, and markets and public places accommodate self styled sex specialists who have pictures and medicine for almost every sexual condition. Who monitors these advertising mediums? Is there a rating for advertising content? Until when will existing rules [if any] be enforced?
Well, at least I was on hand to re-socialize my nephew, you might not be so fortunate to have the opportunity to do so for your child. Some children experiment with sex and other vices because of curiosity and sheer ignorance of the fact that not all that is splashed around is right! The time is now for a national policy to safeguard our children from lewd and confusing advertising content. Take the lead!
By: Aba Ghana Email: abaghana@gmail.com
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