Wanjiku:

(shouting) Children! Children, do you hear me?

Children:

(in unison) - Yes, mother!

Wanjiku:

Come in and have your supper.

Mwikali:

(puzzled) But where is supper, mother?

Musa:

(pointing at the mugs on the table) I can only see mugs of porridge.

Wanjiku:

Sorry children, that's all we have.

Bob:

I do understand mother, thanks.

Grace:

(Loudly) Come in!

Wanjiku:

(Excusing herself) Let me open the door .....(after opening) Oh! My husband, you look tired. Come in.

Mutuku:

Thank you, my wife.

Children:

Good evening, father!

Mukutu:

Good evening, my children, but it is not so good.

Children:

(Surprised) Ahhh!

Wanjiku:

What happened? Were you hurt or ill?

Mutuku:

Not at all (Pause). It's only that I didn't get any money today.

Bob:

(Worried) Dad, does it mean we won't go back to school?

Grace:

Leave Dad alone. Don't you see he is tired and hungry?

Mwikali:

(Asking her mother) What will Papa eat?

Mutuku:

Please don't bother. I'm fine, children.

Wanjiku:

What can we do, my husband? The children have been sent home for fees and uniforms and here there's nothing to eat.

Mutuku:

(Thoughtfully) I know. (Nodding his bead) We have no choice but for all of us to work, and hard.

Mutavi:

(Surprised) Work! But we are too young to work!

Bob:

But not too young to eat and go to school!

Wanjiku:

Listen! Let us plan how we will work.

Mutuku:

Yes! Mutavi and Bob will collect sand, for now. They are strong enough for that.

Wanjiku:

Grace and I will work at Mr. Mutua's coffee farm.

Mutuku:

(Pointing at Musa) Musa, my son, you can do well with fishing. You will sell some of your catch and some you bring home for our meal.

Mwikali:

What of me, mother?

Wanjiku:

Oh, my last born! You will take care of our home: clean up, draw water, etc.

Grace:

(Standing) I feel fired and sleepy. Let me go to sleep.

Mutua:

(Shouting) Njoki! Njoki!

Njoki:

(Fearfully) Y-yyes, boss?

Mutua:

(Pointing at her) I told you that I don't want nonsense.

Njoki:

But what have I done?

Mutua:

As if you don't know.

Njoki:

Sure boss, believe me I don't know.

Mutua:

(Annoyed) Listen child! I'm not a fool or your mother and I don't intend to be your teacher.

Njoki:

(Worried) Y-yyes boss.

Mutua:

I told you to tell your friends that these flowers are to be picked today so that you can start weeding.

Njoki:

B-but this farm is big.

Mutua:

(Shouting) I pay you to work not to complain! Am I right?

Njoki:

Y-yyes please.

Mutua:

(Loudly) YES SIR!

Njoki:

YES SIR!

Mutua:

Good! Those are orders and orders must be obeyed or children die.
(Shouting) You hear me all of you?

ALL:

Yes sir!

Mutua:

Quick, Quick! These flowers must be finished today. (Leaves and the children shake their heads).

Kimau:

We are toiling for men and women who are supposed to be our guardians, our protectors, our parents.

Njoki:

But they turn against us, to betray us, and enslave us.

Kimau:

Yes, (Nodding his head) We are insulted as children, denied our only future. We are a hopeless generation.

Bob:

It is bitter. (Shaking his head) We are insulted as children, denied our only future. We are a hopeless generation.

Mutavi:

Look at the flower farms - children.

James:

What of the river banks? Children.

Musa:

We are the cow and donkey boys.

Nduta:

To be fished out of school to nothing.

Grace:

The whole world watching as the voiceless society erodes.

Nduta:

Why can't they help us finish our education?

Kimay:

And be grown-ups, both strong, wise men and women.

Njoki:

I think that is when we will work for ourselves.

Bob:

Sure! This is unfair. What have we done? The rate of school drop-outs is alarming.

Mutavi:

At the hands of child labour.

Grace:

(Looking up and sobbing) Why were we born to suffer? Please, we need an answer. (She sobs loudly and leaves the stage).

Njoki:

(Following Grace) Grace! Please don't cry. They have heard.

Nduta:

(Also going) I hope they will do something this time.

Musa:

(Leaving) The time is now or never.

Mutavi:

(Collecting his shovel) Why are we born to suffer? (Shaking his head and the rest do the same while leaving the stage).

Mutuku:

(Meeting Mutua and shaking bands) Hello my friend, Mr. Mutua. You seem to be doing fine.

Mutua:

(Boasting) Of course, of course, Mutuku. I'm doing perfectly fine.

Mutuku:

How are your farms doing?

Mutua:

Splendid! With all the village children working for me.

Rose:

(Interrupting) How are you gentlemen?

Mutua and Mutuku:

Fine, madam.

Mutua:

What about your school, madam?

Rose:

Not so fine.

Mutuku:

Yes! I knew there is a big problem at school.

Mutua:

You mean you are also a teacher?

Rose:

You don't have to be a teacher to know if there's a problem at school.

Mukutu:

A minute ago my friend you told me that you have employed all the village children, now tell me who is going to school?

Mutua:

(Stammering) We-ll-well! you know...

Joshua:

(Cutting him short) Good day folks, I'm happy to see you. (Shaking hands).

Rose:

(Serious) Pastor! there is a problem at school, the rate of school drop-out is increasing.

Joshua:

Yes! at last people are seeing how crucial child labour is.

Mutuku:

What a waste of children - though some parents are unable, like myself, but we should be helped.

Mutua:

My friend, how do you want to be helped?

Joshua:

(Ignoring his question) Mutua, I would say your farms have a lot of children employed.

Rose:

(To Mutua) If you think you are rich and in need of employing, please employ grown-ups.

Joshua:

People like Mutuku, your friend, have no job and are suffering; his children have been sent home from school.

Rose:

What a friend you are! If you employ his children instead and abuse them.

Mutuku:

(Interrupting) Folks! Let's think twice... What of tomorrow?

Joshua:

True! It is time for we adults to 'reason and commit ourselves for the wellbeing of these children.

Rose:

Bring back the children to school! They need education. Besides, we can't teach empty classrooms.

Mutua:

I'm sorry, I think I have been too greedy thinking of myself individually instead of the welfare of my community.

Mutuku:

If only one can help a single child, remember you have saved a future.

Joshua:

(Loudly) Child labour must be stopped! Look at our farms and everywhere - Children! Are they donkeys or slaves?

Rose:

What a pity how we as parents have betrayed our own children and waste them instead.

Mutuku:

But, how can we confine these children to school, without being sent home for fees and uniforms?

Joshua:

(Nodding his head) That is an issue we should address ourselves to.

Rose:

I think if we can start an income-generating project at school, it will help to sustain the children's education.

Mutua:

(Excited) Yes! I do think that's a better idea, and I offer to donate and commit myself on such a project.

Mutuku:

I also do agree with the idea, but the sooner the better.

Joshua:

First let's inform our community about this by holding a meeting at the school for parents and village elders.

Rose:

(Excited) That's great! I have to arrange for that immediately.

Mutua:

Children should not be born to suffer (shaking his head).

Joshua:

Let us campaign on this, and with that, God bless (waving his hands while leaving).

Mutuku:

I can't wait till I tell my family of what we are planning, bye! (hurrying off).