The World Needs Fathers: Building the Future Through Intentional Fatherhood

The Future of Our Children

Absentee Fathers and the Role They Play in Our Children's Lives

As we celebrate Father's Day, it is important to reflect on the role fathers play in shaping the future of our children and society.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is education. Education is not just about passing examinations or acquiring certificates. It is an opportunity to expand the mind and expose young people to possibilities beyond their immediate environment.

Parents should encourage wide reading, not just school books. Real education opens doors to dreams, ideas, and opportunities. When you read books, you are exposed to a world of possibilities. Looking back, I now understand why my father encouraged me to read and invested in books for me. One of the first books I remember him buying was Rich Dad Poor Dad. The lessons from books often stay with us long after childhood.

However, education is not only found in classrooms. There is also the physical journey of learning through culture, experience, and life's realities. We should not shelter our children from every difficulty. Life itself is a teacher.

A key question for parents today is: What is the surrogate for suffering?

Many young people today struggle to embrace process. They want results without understanding the value of the journey. Yet patience, grit, discipline, and resilience are often developed through challenges and experiences.

Education must therefore go beyond head knowledge. We must also develop heart knowledge. How do we talk to people? How do we treat those above us and those below us? How do we develop character, discipline, patience, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to society?

The combination of head knowledge and heart knowledge creates the right mix for greatness.

There is a level of suffering and discomfort that we all have to go through to acquire real-life skills. The alternative is not to remove all challenges from our children's lives but to intentionally create experiences that teach valuable lessons.

Parents can create mentorship opportunities that pass wisdom from one generation to another. Children can learn through tasks, responsibilities, repetitive activities, and practical experiences that build character. It requires intentionality in raising children.

An important question raised is this: Why would a parent prefer being admitted to a hospital rather than spending time with their family? Why would a parent want to run away from the responsibility of engaging with their children?

The reality is that many children today do not truly experience their parents.

Motherhood is instinctive. Fatherhood is intentional.

Mothers naturally connect with their children, while fathers often have to make a deliberate effort to engage, mentor, and guide them. Fathers can play a leading role in exposing children to experiences that develop resilience, discipline, and growth.

Often, mothers desire a softer upbringing for their children, while fathers tend to introduce challenges that prepare them for life. Both approaches are important, but society suffers when the father's role is absent.

Today, we see many children growing up without a strong masculine influence. We are witnessing what some describe as the "mama-baba generation" children who have been raised primarily without intentional male guidance.

The masculine side of a child does not necessarily have to come from a biological father. It can come from a responsible man who steps into the role of mentor, guide, and example. Many men in our communities need to step up.

As we celebrate Father's Day, the world needs fathers.

The unrest witnessed in some schools, including issues such as those seen at Utumishi, raises deeper questions. Many young people lack a strong male figure who can model authority, discipline, accountability, and responsibility. Some have fathers who are physically absent. Others have fathers who are present in the home but absent in their children's lives.

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This is a challenge that society must address.

How do we rehabilitate and support children growing up without strong male mentorship?

We need more football academies, mentorship programmes, boot camps, martial arts programmes, and structured activities that help fill these gaps. Such programmes not only provide guidance but also teach important life skills, discipline, teamwork, and resilience.

We need more intentional programmes to support the next generation.

If we do not address this challenge now, we risk compromising the future of our society. The time to act is now. The future of our children depends on it.

As we honour fathers today, let us also challenge more men to step up, be present, be intentional, and help shape the next generation.

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