OPINION - We often see people being viewed as admirable when they grew up in a harsh environment and become successful in life.

I remember during school sermons and graduations, they would invite speakers who would come and share their life stories or testimonials.

Their stories usually started with how difficult things were when they grew up, till the point they decided to change the environment by not staying in those circumstances.

As a young learner in the audience, I did not know if I was supposed to feel bad for the way the person was raised or happy that they succeeded in life.

We are subconsciously telling learners in schools that it is normal to struggle in silence and it's OK to live in circumstances that are not the right environment for children to grow up in.

I am not demoting any person who struggled and became successful. I am saying, instead of letting those children suffer, we should find ways to better their circumstances. In our rural areas, a lot of lifestyles get normalised. We should look at how society has turned hardship into inspirational content while ignoring structural problems.

Someone's resilience is not evidence that their circumstances are bearable to be raised in.

We should start seeing the reality from a different perspective. Somewhere a young person is going through harsh circumstances, conditioned to think that it's some sort of badge of honour.

We cannot keep applauding people for carrying burdens that were not supposed to be theirs in the first place.

I think we have got so attached to being fascinated by survival stories that we forgot ordinary living conditions are what all of us deserve.

It is not about taking away the medal from people who survived and succeeded in life. It is about understanding that even these people are humans who never should've experienced what they went through when they were in survival mode. 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Group Editors and its publications.  

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