Recently, as I was watching TV I found a programme on sex education showing that involved most of the high ranking members of the Rwandan society. I liked the programme most when the discussants took us into how the traditional Rwandan parents introduced sex education to their children. This helped children to know what to do when confronted with sexual issues. It also helped parents to know how much their children knew about sex and how healthy the information was. The education helped children to know what is important at a given age. The girls knew what was expected of them at a given age as well as boys and grew up into responsible parents and members of society. It dispelled the fears since children would get it first hand from the most trusted sources. I wish today’s parents would borrow the idea especially when our society is engulfed in many sexually transmitted diseases and deaths coupled with unwanted pregnancies that cost our children time and education opportunities. It is unfortunate that today’s parents fear introducing sexual talks to their children and leave the children to find out the information for themselves which is always from wrong sources. If a mother or father feared telling their children the truth about life, who do they expect to do it on their behalf, and do it perfectly. Sex education will save many young people from early sex encounters thus minimise HIV transmissions and other unwanted sexually related problems. I would like to take this chance to request Rwanda Television if possible, to rebroadcast the programme; it was really educative to both children and adults. Kimironko
