Father, Hear My Cry

The umbrella from which this tale is drawn is that of HUMAN RIGHTS. It is informed by a mix of social deficiencies, complexities and challenges resulting from; unemployment, unforgiving capitalist system, rampant sex irresponsibility, disregard for “law & order” within the most township, informal and rural settings. This eventually breeds a culture of individualistic “swim or sink”, unhealthy competition and social anomalies amongst others.

Further to this, additional difficulties imposed by illiteracy, intolerance, family secrecy, peer pressure, poverty, cultural inaccuracies, under-development, and gender inequity which all combine to find fertile ground amongst the underprivileged.

The book will further seek to explore stereotypes surrounding human rights; forms of women abuse, including typical trials most teenage girls are thrust into by circumstances outside of their control. The tragedy which befalls many people resulting from the miscarriage of justice which is facilitated by poor access to information, misapplication of culture, economic scales of balance, a murky definition and gross misunderstanding of gender power relations.

This book chronicles the unfortunate meetings of different, unrelated individuals who become acquainted with each other through crossing paths of grief, personal misfortune, and unplanned consequences of wrong choices. In each one of them, there exists a deeper desire to find meaning to life’s most intricate and demanding passages of fulfilling one's personal goals against all odds while living a fulfilling life.

Chance, fate, and similar quests bring them on the same road of trying to make sense of everything they are confronted with. Each person must make a choice in order to survive; either taking the bitter road most traveled or pursue a cowardice shortcut of leaving everything to chance.

It is unfortunate that even after so much was achieved through the advent of democracy in South Africa, with its exceptional Constitution which guarantees a variety of Human Rights; many people are yet to enjoy such promises.

It is the responsibility of each and every person to put their differences aside, in order to respect our diverse and interesting cultures, languages, gifts, social circumstances, beliefs and preferences without being made to feel less for choosing what makes one feel happy.

The book in a way speaks of the role each man; father and boys play in the lives of those they interact with. Each person looks to a father, man, and brother as a provider, protector, a guide, a support base and expects their presence to smoothen life’s challenges while maintaining some degree of order. Yet for many children, this is but a dream, which won’t ever become a reality.

In my attempt to reinforce the importance of a father in a child’s life, I detail accounts of people whose lives were affected by the absence and inactivity of a fatherly figure which they desperately needed.