“One Man, One Wife’’, a Slogan Against Poverty in South Sudan.
By David Aoloch Bion
In South Sudan, 60% of women are thin and bony; they are underfed because they are many on one husband. 70% of children wear torn clothes because their fathers can’t afford to buy them new clothes because they are many on one father.
A man in the village marries three to seven wives and he can beget 15 to 30 children. In the town, a man marries two to five wives and he can beget 15 to 20 children.
In the village, this polygamist may have 30 to 70 head of cattle to feed his seven wives and 30 children. Or in other villages he may have a farm of sorghum, maize, simsim… etc to feed his seven wives and 30 children
In the town, this polygamist may have a job, he earns 1000 South Sudanese per a month.
This traditional lifestyle of many wives and many children make 70% of South Sudanese stay 48 hours without food, because the 70 cows can’t feed 7 wives and 30 children. 1000 pounds can’t feed five wives and 20 children.
This traditional way of life make South Sudan poorest country in the World, despite it well known natural resources of oil, gold etc.
Today, in South Sudan, if you are sick, you need money for treatment, if you don’t have money, you will die of simple disease. If you want to study, you need money for education. If you don’t have money you will not go to school and you will not get a job.
Where will the polygamist get money to treat their many wives, if they are sick? Where will the polygamist get money to send their 30 children to school?
In today economic conditions, the polygamist are the ‘’poor of poor’’ despite their empty pride,
‘’I am rich, how can I marry five wives if I were poor!’’
The wives of the polygamists are thin and bony compare to the wives of monogamists’.
What is the solution to thin, bony women and torn clothes children in our society? . Pragmatically, the solution is ONE MAN ONE WIFE. This will solve this problem of abject poverty.
Every man must marry one wife, so if she is sick, he can afford to treat her.
Every man must have few children, so he can afford to pay for their education.
The government must set laws that will punish any man who marry more than one wife, whom he will not take care of and their many children. The wife should be empowered to sue a husband who marries a new wife. To produce children who will suffer from poverty is a crime against humanity. You must produce children you take care of, one man one wife no more or less.
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