In my mother's era, even girls could roam their neighbourhood unsupervised, playing with children, visiting neighbours and collecting assorted species of fish, frog and fauna in ravines or nearby streams.
The majority of children of Ziya's generation will never have that experience. We adults have almost irreversibly polluted many of the rivers near our homes with garbage and poison. It's risky for any mother to allow her young daughter to wander freely. Living at odds with our environment and each other is a cost that will be borne by those now being born.
I try to make up for that generational loss by taking Zi to clean streams or empty stretches of beach as often as I can. I avoid Maracas, and dream that the $78 million planned upgrade includes rehabilitation of the river's ecosystem. Anything is possible with a vision, and we are responsible for protecting mangroves, coasts and fresh watercourses for our children.