Growing Up Without A Father – Are We A Fatherless Nation?

In our country South Africa, Africa and around the world, we are faced with the impact of the absence of fathers, leaving millions of children with deep scars and pain behind. Some will carry these scars into their future and into their marriages if we don’t address and walk the route of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Broken people breed broken families and broken families breed broken communities that breed broken nations. – Tumi Frazier

Fatherlessness’ affects millions of children in South Africa, Africa and around the world.

Millions of children live in homes without the physical presence of fathers.  Other fathers are physically present, but emotionally absent. The impact of fatherlessness can be seen in our homes, schools, churches, hospitals and prisons. According to stats, fatherlessness is associated with almost every societal ill facing our country’s children. 

I have also noticed that elderly people in society and old age home are still battling with this void and pain, they need closure.

As we take a peep at today’s society, we can undoubtedly notice the social issues that we are facing are linked to the absence of fathers in homes.

  • The rate of single parenthood is on the rise.
  • The divorce rate is on the rise.
  • The homosexuality phenomenon has become more and more prevalent in most nations.
  • Gangsterism,Youth suicides are eminent and increasing in our society
  • Studies showed that most people in prison are there because of the lack of father’s involvement in their lives.
  • Substance abuse has penetrated schools and affected students at appalling levels.
  • Sexual encounter among the youths is on the rise leading to teenage pregnancies.
  • Juvenile and young adult prostitution are overwhelming lately

What is scary is that boys become men without the confidence of fatherhood and girls become women and wives without always having the inner security and self-affirmation that their fathers should have taught them. That is why one will see young girls a falling for older man; actually they are looking for that father love and affirmation. 

Research show that children from a fatherless home are:

  • likely to have behavioral disorders
  • likely to run away
  • likely to commit rape
  • likely to drop out of school
  • likely to abuse chemical substances
  • likely to end up in prison
  • likely to commit suicide

A Lot Of Children Are Without Hope Because:

  • They don’t have no fathers at all.(They might have passed on)
  • They might have left their mothers and do not even know that she was pregnant?
  • They may have a father who is distant and cold. (We call that father present but absent)-He has very little emotional connection with you, they may see him or even live with him, but there is no bond or connection.
  • Other fathers  doesn’t know how to be a father at all, because of their background and up bring(lack of father in their upbringing
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