HOLIDAYS’ PERIODS AT PARAKOU
Those jobs occupying holiday-makers
Just from the beginning of holidays, they already devote themselves to activities generator of revenues. Those people are pupils and students spending their holidays’ periods in another way. For the majority of those learners, holidays are not periods of resting but rather for preparations of the coming resumption. Then, they busy themselves in different ways aiming to gather the maximum of financial resources in order to help their parents and to assume the next resumption’s spendings. In this quest of a better future, they sometimes encountered some obstacles that some of them overcome even with after-effects.
Maroufatou KAKPO (Stg)
After nine months of regular/assiduous courses, learners benefit from two months of holidays of resting before starting with the next beginning of term. For some learners, it is the moment of discovery of some cities or paying a visit to some family members, or entertainment with comic’s trip or films and go to summer vacation in order to prepare the next beginning of term. « During holidays, I rest a little watching Tv and strolling to entertain, it is a resting » Célia Agossou affirms. If it is the way Célia and many other children perceive holidays’ periods, it is not the case for some.
Holidays’ Periods, Jobs’ Periods
Numerous are those learners occupying their holidays’ periods with small jobs precisely the selling on the run. A turn in the crossroads of Koburu’s city and they are there handing and heading articles. From the selling of condiments to cosmetic products through the selling of food-producing like peanuts, maize without forgetting oranges, bananas, pineapples, fruits’ juice and many other articles. Some go from house to house or to some shop owners to offer thier services for money aiming to gather the maximum of sessources for the next school year. « Holidays have already started, then i have started my job of selling Chinese products », confides Jean-Baptiste student of the sixth year of CEG Albarika before adding « money I will earn is to assume my spendings because I have no one to count on so it is the way I do during holidays ». To Roukayath Baco student in first year in Law to go further « my sisters and I during holidays devote ourselves to small works to have money to save up in order to better start the next school year and also to help parents »
Whatever the one or other of activities undertaken by those young people, the end is whether to help their parents in spending, whether to take themselves in charge. They are noble jobs to be encouraged.
A trap for some careless young people
Unfortunately, some young people end the holidays with some after-effects coming from holidays’ jobs or sometimes from pastimes. In fact, it is not uncommon to see some young learners hindered by accidents that occur during holidays. Girls are the more vulnerable. Most of them get early and involuntary pregnancies during those periods then unable to start courses. Authors of those pregnancies mostly learners are obliged to abandon classes in order to find something to do so that to take care of the pregnant girl. Becoming a premature father-to-be, they have no choice than coping with their destiny.
Apart from this case, some young people go to easiness until drifting. Girls going to easy-gain, to earn money quickly and easily to their bottom’s sweat and sex and boys going into stealing and delinquency.
Holidays’ jobs as they call them are good in themselves for the fact that they allow young people to very soon go into life’s realities, help parents, avoid weariness, stealing and idleness. It is important for young people to learn how to make money through good jobs and activities. This said, authorities at different levels and parents are called to watch out their children and cover them with advice. Young learners delivering themselves to holiday’s jobs ought not to go far from their main goal which is to gather the maximum of means to insure the next school years’ spending. Then, they should avoid and even go away with all that should lead them to drift or prevent them from going back normally to classes at the end of holidays.
