Butterfly 208:
Tanzania
Marie, 15, Canadian delegate to the Children’s
World Congress on Child Labor
Aug 2005
What I really want to share about my experience in
Tanzania is the moments that I’ll never forget,
the experiences that taught me more than I could have
ever imagined, and the stories of people I met.
This August I was in Tanzania, East Africa, for 10
days with the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA). I had written a short story about AIDS orphans
for a CIDA contest called butterfly 208 and won the
grand prize in the individual writing category: a
trip to Africa! (Check out www.bp208.ca to find out
more about the contest and to read my entry!)
My time in Tanzania was packed full of sharing, experiencing,
helping, having fun and, most of all, learning. I
visited international development projects and had
the chance to really see different issues first-hand.
I learned so much about things I never expected: the
value placed on family in different cultures; the
importance of relationships; and appreciation of the
opportunities I have.
The people with whom I travelled - the other grand
prize winners, the chaperons, trip leaders, and Tanzanian
students and teacher - were incredible and added so
much to the experience. I had the most amazing time
getting to know each of them and learned so much from
every person.
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An hours drive from
Dar es Salaam at a primary school, where
over 50% of the 1,800 students were
orphans, I saw the most unbelievable
dedication to learning. I went into
a classroom and was greeted by 60 smiling
students, loudly singing. Some were
squashed onto benches behind desks.
The majority were sitting cross-legged
on the concrete floor. In their blue
and white school uniforms these students
were attentive and hanging onto their
teacher’s every word. When a question
was asked, every single hand would go
up. When called upon, a student would
stand up, answer the question and sit
back down. While the teacher was speaking,
the students were completely silent.
On their desks there were no school
supplies: no exercise books, no rulers;
not even pens or pencils. The these
students were learning their Swahili
lesson by heart.
What
amazed me about the students was how
they were so incredibly dedicated to
their education. They wanted to learn.
On
the last day we spent at the school,
we presented books and school kits -
consisting of an exercise book, pencil,
ruler and eraser - to the students.
It was so rewarding to take concrete
action to help them continue their education.
There
was such a huge contrast in the attitudes
of the students in Canada towards education
and those of the students I met at Kiparang’anda
School in Dar es Salaam. This experience
reminded me, once again, of how blessed
I am and how important it is that I
appreciate the opportunities I have.
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At a centre for children who were victims of exploitation,
early marriage, and/or had been orphaned as a result
of AIDS, I had the chance to speak with a small group
of girls. I was introduced by the Tanzanian teacher
who travelled with us in the country. He explained
to the girls, none of whom were much older than myself,
how I advocate for child laborers by working in Canada
to raise awareness and by taking concrete action.
He told these girls that if they would tell
me their stories, I would take them back to Canada
and share them so that other children would not have
to face the same exploitation.
One by one, the girls told me about their lives.
It was incredible how open they were with me, a complete
stranger. They told me about the most horrific things
that could ever happen to children.
When one girl’s parents had both died of AIDS,
she was taken by a neighbor to Dar es Salaam, where
he had promised that she could continue her education.
However, when they arrived, she was forced into prostitution
at the age of 12.
Another girl told me how she had worked as a domestic
servant for a rich family. She would clean every day
from early in the morning until late at night. However,
at the month, she received no pay for her work.
Through tears, another girl quietly told how she
was forced to marry when she was only 13 years old.
Even though her parents knew she was staying at the
shelter, they have refused to come and visit. As a
result, she hadn’t seen them for years.
These girls were so strong. Not only had they experienced
exploitation that I had trouble even trying to imagine
and believe, but they had moved on and were learning
new skills to hopefully lead a better life.
I promised these girls and myself that I would bring
their experiences back to Canada and share them with
anyone willing to listen.
During our stay in Tanzania, we traveled to a small
community where we met two young girls who were HIV-positive.
Both were younger than my own sisters. It was so overwhelming
to see the discrimination and exclusion the girls
faced because of something out of their control. It
was overwhelming to think about their situation; the
cruel fact that these girls were never going to grow
up and have a future. It was overwhelming to think
about every individual child infected and affected
by HIV/AIDS in the community, region, country, continent
and then the entire world. Most difficult of all was
to then try and somehow comprehend how, day after
day, we continue to ignore these children.
During my stay in Tanzania, I experienced the most
incredible culture, from which we can all learn so
much. The people were generous beyond belief; opening
the doors of their homes to us, sharing what little
food they had, and being so open about their experiences.
The value placed on family was immense.
I was most amazed by how the Tanzanians would give
so much, even to complete strangers, and expect nothing
in return.
I learned about the importance of little things:
a smile, inquiring about someone’s day, and
demonstrating through your actions that you really
do care.
Tanzania was incredible. I came home with more than
I ever imagined. I experienced and saw countless things
that have inspired me to be so much more. Most importantly,
I came away with a feeling of hope and an increased
dedication to take action and inspire others to become
involved.
This completes a small glimpse into my experience
in Tanzania; an experience that I will always remember.
Buying,
selling of children common in stone quarries
Vibha Sharma 30 Aug 2005
New Delhi - Despite the Indian government’s
tall claims of adopting a proactive approach towards
the issue of forced or bonded labor, the fact is that
this evil system of gross infringement of fundamental
rights of a human being continues unabashedly in the
country.
If the 114 men, women and children, gathered in the
Constitution Hall, right next to corridors of political
power in the Capital are to be believed, then this
illegal practice is carrying on despite claims of
eradication in neighboring Haryana, in gross violation
of the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act 1976. And
right under the nose of the administration and with
support of some high-profile politicians of the state.
Under the Act, there are stringent penal provisions
against any offending employers. Penalties include
imprisonment for a term which may extend up to three
years.
Keeping bonded laborers and buying and selling them
is a common practice in Haryana, according to the
NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a sister group of
the Global March Against Child Labor.
BBA rescued the 114 hapless men, women and children
from thriving stone quarries in the Bhiwani district.
“Those operating stone quarries work as organized
gangs and buy and sell human beings, depending upon
their skill, anywhere between Rs 500 to Rs 5,000,”
claims Kailash Satyarthi, BBA chairman.
The group presented a memorandum to Haryana Chief
Minister through the Resident Commissioner in Delhi,
demanding action against the contractors, the district
administration Bhiwani. They also asked for their
proper rehabilitation.
For those rescued from the stone quarries, it has
been a long story, for some as long as 7 years, of
misery, exploitation and total disregard of their
fundamental human rights.
One after the other, the laborers related heart-rending
stories of their plight at hands of middlemen, who
had brought them from their homes with promises that
were never kept, and contractors who exploited them,
day after day.
Whether it is the very pregnant 21-year-old Gulabo
or the 28-year-old Suman, they all claimed they were
not paid regular wages for the back-breaking work
that continued for 12 to 14 hours a day.
“We were given less money and bad food for
all the hard work we did,” says Suman. Minimum
wages for quarrying is Rs 240 a day, says Satyarthi.
During the past 7 years that she has been working
at the quarry, Suman, her husband and their two children,
were not allowed to go home. In fact, Suman claimed
of not being able to meet her son, whom she had left
behind in her village. Those who were allowed to go
home had to leave behind a family member as security,
she said.
Gulabo’s story is equally pathetic. Contractor’s
men sexually harassed her and hit her with a lathi
on her stomach, despite being in the advanced stage
of pregnancy, she alleged.
Satyarthi says the reason why illegal operations
like these are continuing unchecked in Haryana is
because those earning from and operating these quarries
are not only well-connected but high profile politicians,
including some MLAs and MPs. “A former Chief
Minister owns several of these quarries in benami,”
he claimed.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050831/main7.htm
Niger:
Gold Miners Exploit Children
Ousseini Issa 29 Aug 2005
Niamey - Abdou Adamou spends his days in a pit 50
to 80 meters below ground at the Komabangou gold prospecting
site. His job involves hacking up rocks and raising
them to the surface with a bucket. He is only 15 years
old. Komabangou, where Adamou works, is located some
175 kilometres southwest of the capital Niamey. This
mineral-rich region has sparked gold rush since 2001.
"Each morning, they lower me into the shaft
at 8 a.m. with the food and water I'll need for the
next 18 hours. In the beginning it was awful but once
you get used to it, it becomes routine," Adamou
told the Inter Press Service(IPS).
Like many other children, Adamou dropped out of school.
"I left school when my parents decided to leave
our village for Komabangou to look for gold. And since
they had no one to leave me with, they brought me
with them," he said.
"If I could've found someone to take care of
my child, I never would have brought him here. I would
have let him to continue with his study," Adamou's
father told IPS.
"It's hard for everyone in the village. People
don't want to take care of other people's children
when there's nothing in it for them."
Harouna Sadou, a Niamey sociologist, said: "Rural
elementary school pupils are confronted with guardianship
problem, especially when the school doesn't have a
feeding program. Even in secondary schools, when the
child does not receive a government allowance, it's
hard to find a family that will provide for him. And
that frequently explains why children end up leaving
school."
More than 100 children between the ages of 10 and
16 are believed to be working in Komabangou.
According to Niger's 1993 mining code, the minimum
age at which one may work in mines and quarries is
18. But no inspectors have been assigned to the gold
mining sites. Only occasionally does a team arrive
for a surprise inspection, according to Ibrahim Balla
Souley, the national coordinator for the International
Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC-Niger),
based in Niamey.
"To work at the site, one doesn't need papers
to document your age for the mine owners. And the
government does nothing at the point of recruitment.
Here, it's basically the informal sector which operates,"
Daouda Kabani, the general secretary of the Gold Prospectors
Association of Komabangou told IPS. According to him,
no gold miner or parent has ever been prosecuted for
a child labor offence.
IPEC, which set up shop in Niger in 2002, is run by
the International Labor Organization (ILO). The group
seeks to abolish child labor worldwide. "IPEC-Niger
is a program that was negotiated by Niger government
with the ILO to fight child labor," Souley explained.
"Children constitute a workforce here. They
work in various capacities. Some help with the rock-crushing;
others work in extraction; others in transporting
the water used to mix the crushed sand obtained after
pulverising the rock," Kabani explained. A gram
of gold fetches between 10 and 12 dollars for the
miner, he said.
According to Kabani, some gold prospectors pay about
20 dollars a month to the children they employ, others
30 dollars. But they provide the children - who came
to work at the site without their parents or guardians
- with free room and board. Adults doing similar jobs
earn double, Kabani said, because they produce more.
The minimum monthly wage of a government worker in
Niger is about 50 dollars.
Mahamadou Aboubacar, 13, supplies water at the gold
prospecting site, where he has lived with his mother
for three years. "I began working after my father
died to help my mother out. I fill about three 200-litre
barrels of water every day, which I deliver to my
employer on a cart one kilometer away," he told
IPS. He earns about six dollars a day.
"I have no means of support here except my child
since the death of my husband. He's the one who works
and feeds and clothes me," Mamata Gado, Aboubacar's
mother, told IPS. "But parents also push their
children to come and work here," Souley acknowledged.
"The children are exposed to all sorts of risks
like dust poisoning and possibility of tunnel collapsing,"
Souley stated. There are also diseases connected to
physical activity, like lumbago and injuries from
hammers and pestles that the children grind rock with.
Lumbago is lower back pain or general pain in the
lower back especially in younger people whose work
involves physical effort. Dr. Bako Bagassi from the
National Program Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases
and HIV/AIDS in Niamey said the children are often
exposed to and infected by various diseases.
"Many of these children begin sexual activity
early. In Komabangou, more than 50 percent of sex
workers are infected with HIV," Bagassi said,
referring to a 2003 survey conducted by a health group.
To ease the pandemic, the Niger branch of World Vision,
an international non-governmental organisation (NGO),
has been conducting awareness campaigns and training
since 2004.
"We've trained about 100 community workers to
conduct awareness campaigns in Komabangou and surrounding
villages. We've also created an HIV/AIDS testing centre,"
Abdoulaye Soumana, a World Vision worker, told IPS.
IPEC-Niger also established a primary school in Komabangou
in 2002. It also trains children in revenue-generating
activities such as selling water, using carts as a
mode of transport.
"We built the first primary school on this gold-mining
site and today it has about 140 children," said
Souley, who is happy that some parents have chosen
to enroll their children and keep them in school.
"Niger has ratified various international conventions
relating to the protection and promotion of children,
including the Convention on the Rights of Children,"
said Zakari Hamadou, from the Ministry of Public Service
and Labor in Niamey. In addition, Niger's Labor law
bans child labor.
"These children operate in informal environment
which complicates the task of labor inspectors. That's
why I think we have to concentrate more on awareness
campaigns," Souley recommended, pointing to poverty
as the main cause of child labor.
Sixty-three percent of Niger's population lives below
the poverty line, according to the 2004 World Report
on Human Development of the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200508290080.html
EU
raps Nepal rebels for using child soldiers
Reuters 13 Aug 2005
The European Union condemned Nepal's Maoist rebels
for using children as soldiers in a civil war in which
thousands have died since 1996 and urged the government
to ensure those affected by the conflict were properly
rehabilitated.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has been fighting
to overthrow Nepal's
monarchy and set up a communist republic in the world's
only Hindu kingdom.
The conflict has cost more than 12,500 lives, more
than 400 of them children.
"The EU strongly condemns the CPN (M)'s systematic
and continued human rights violations especially in
respect to the use of child soldiers which runs contrary
to their claims that they respect human rights and
adhere to the standards of the Geneva Conventions,"
EU said in a statement issued by the British Embassy
late on Friday. Britain currently holds the EU presidency.
"Violation of the rights of the children, evident
in the Maoist abuse of schools, indoctrination and
abduction of young people and the induction into military
forces, are particularly abhorrent," the statement
said.
The rebels could not be reached for comment, but
during a tour of the Maoist
areas in west Nepal early this year, Reuters reporters
were told by the rebels that children were not used
as fighters but only policed their areas as village
militia.
EU said 20,000 children were displaced and many had
become victims of trafficking and child labour due
to the conflict.
It urged Nepal's government to ensure that children
affected by the conflict were properly rehabilitated
and safe at schools.
Last month, rights group Amnesty International said
Nepali children were being abducted and recruited
for military activities and blamed both the rebels
and government troops for violating their fundamental
rights.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP199055.htm
Teachers'
unions join boycott against Wal-Mart
11 Aug 2005
The two largest U.S. teachers' unions joined a “back-to-school"
boycott against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., targeting one
of the year's busiest shopping seasons to protest
the retailer's labor practices. The 2.7 million-member
National Education Association, the biggest U.S. union,
and the 1.3 million-member American Federation of
Teachers are teaming with the United Food and Commercial
Workers in urging shoppers to buy school supplies
elsewhere, the UFCW's "Wake-Up Wal-Mart"
group said. The back-to-school season is the biggest
shopping time for Wal-Mart other than Christmas. The
unions are demanding the company boost its wages,
expand health benefits and adhere to child labor and
discrimination laws. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart,
the
largest retailer in the world and biggest private
employer in the U.S., stressed that its low prices,
such as 25-cent crayons, help educators and students.
WMT (NYSE) fell 38 cents to $48.84.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v4/sub/MarketingPage?user_URL=
http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2FArticleNews%2FTPStory%2FLAC%2F20050811
%2FRTICKER118%2FEducation%2FIdx&ord=1127850204130&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true
8 Million Nigerian Kids in Child Labor
Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Maryam Ciroma has
said eight million Nigerian children were subjected
to child labor and trafficking and lamented that only
six states had passed the Child Rights Act.
Ciroma made the disclosure in Minna while addressing
Niger State Governor,
Abdul-kadir Kure, members of the State Executive Council
and State House of
Assembly.
The minister regretted that the girl child was worse
off, as they were engaged more in child labour and
trafficking than boys.
The minister frowned at the lukewarm attitude of
state governments to restoration of the rights of
children, despite efforts made by Federal Government
to protect the future leaders, through passage of
the Act.
She regretted that only six of the 36 states had
passed the child rights bill, thereby putting the
future of the Nigerian children into further agony.
Ciroma who was in Minna on an advocacy visit for
passage of the bill warned that if decisive decision,
in form of legislation was not in place to check the
rising profile of child labour trafficking, the future
of the country would be in jeopardy.
The minister explained that the future of children
could only be secured by proper upbringing and functional
education, arguing that "development of the country
can only be assured when today's children are properly
catered for."
She told top government functionaries in the state
that the practice of engaging children in labour was
no longer acceptable to her ministry.
"Let me use this medium to warn parents who
engagd their children in street hawking to stop forthwith.
Those who also engage their children in menial jobs,
instead of sending them to school should also stop,"
she warned.
Ciroma urged the government and Assembly to adopt
the Rights Act. And implored them to be sensitive
in political appointments.
Responding, Governor, Abdulkadir Kure promised quick
passage of the bill, just as he assured the minister
that women would be given equal opportunity in political
appointments. The governor also promised to ensure
an improved funding of the state Ministry of Women
Affairs.
http://www.globalmarch.org/clns/clns-aug-2005-details.php#8-1
Gambia
to Sign Agreement On Child Trafficking
In her efforts to combat child trafficking
the government of The Gambia has agreed to sign a
multilateral agreement to combat child trafficking
in West Africa with the Republic of Benin, Burkina
Faso, Cote d' Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger,
and Togo.
This was revealed at the first annual conference
on child trafficking jointly organised by the US Embassy
and the government of The Gambia in their bid to sensitise
the general public on this fast growing phenomenon
within the sub-region.
Presenting a paper on the problem of trafficking
in Children in The Gambia, Ms. Fanta Sisay, Director
Department of State for Social Welfare said that her
department is the government's agency responsible
for the protection of the most vulnerable in The Gambia
- women and children.
"However the Department of State for Justice
is the responsible for the coordination of issues
of human trafficking and the latter department has
already set up a task force on human trafficking in
which my department is a member", she added.
She also pointed out that a bilateral co-operation
of agreement is being discussed with the Ghanaian
government to combat child trafficking. Here follows
the Director Department of State for Social Welfare's
presentation: "The problem of trafficking in
children in The Gambia is under reported and this
can be attributed to lack of awareness of the general
public of what trafficking is, how it is done, mode/type
and who are involved.
The first case of child trafficking that was reported
to the Department of Social Welfare was the Ghana
Town case in 2004, in which twelve identified children
were trafficked from Ghana to The Gambia.
Recently there are two study reports on child trafficking
issues on The Gambia. These are: *The Trafficking
in Persons Report 2004 by the U .S State Department
*Situational Analysis of child trafficking in The
Gambia by
UNICEF 2004.The reports revealed that there is both
internal and external trafficking of children in The
Gambia.
Internal Trafficking Children are internally trafficked
from rural to urban areas and engaged in work, begging
(Almudoes), street vending and domestic servant. There
are also girls mostly from the sarahuleh tribe who
sell tie and dye products at the markets. These girls
are aged between 14 and 20 years and live with their
parents learning the trade.
External Trafficking in Children
According, to the above-mentioned reports The Gambia
is a source, transit and destination country for women
and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual
exploitation and force domestic and commercial labour.
According to the UNICEF Report on Situational Analysis
of Child trafficking in The Gambia, sex tourists from
some European countries (Netherlands, the United Kingdom,
Sweden, Norway, Germany and Belgium) exploit Gambian
Children and in some cases traffic them to Europe
for prostitution and pornography.
Main Roads Of Trafficking As Per The Reports 1. Gambian
Children are trafficked to Senegal for Koranic Education
2. Senegalese Children are trafficked to The Gambia
for Koranic Education 3. Guinean Children are trafficked
to The Gambia through Casamance 4. Children from Guinea
Bissau are trafficked through Casamance to The Gambia
5. Ghanaian Children from Guinea Bissau are trafficked
to Ghana Town to work in fishing, fish preparation
and petty trading 6. Senegalese girls from Casamance
are trafficked to The Gambia for domestic work 7.
Ghanaian children are
trafficked to Guinea, especially in Conakry, after
transiting through The Gambia.
8. Ghanaian children are trafficked to reach Dakar
and Banjul after transiting through Bobo Diolasso,
(Burkina Faso), Bamako and Kayes (Mali) to reach Dakar
and Banjul.
Government Response Or Interventions The Department
of Social Welfare through support from UNICEF conducted
a nation wide study on street children in The Gambia
in 1995 and a study on sexual abuse and exploitation
of children in The Gambia in 2003. Findings from these
study reports provide better understanding of the
phenomenon in planning to combat child abuse and exploitation,
which can lead to child trafficking.
The Department of Social Welfare has also got the
co-operation of some European countries on "minors
to travel abroad". Embassies refer visa applicants
who are children to the Department of Social Welfare
for certification before they issue them with visa.
The Department of Social Welfare and other partners
like Child Protection Alliance (C.P.A) has conducted
series of training workshops on Child Protection issues
including Child trafficking with the police officers,
Immigration officers, teachers, social worker, religious
leaders etc.
The Department of Social Welfare is running a child
centre sponsored by theStandard Chartered Bank. The
centre provides drop in services for children in difficult
circumstances, in psychosocial counselling, reproductive
health education, computer and life skills training,
feeding programme educational sponsorship, medical
support and other child protection services.
The Department of Social Welfare with support from
SOS International is currently constructing a shelter
for children, which will provide an overnight stay
and protection services to children in difficult circumstances.
UNICEF through The Gambia Government Country Programme
of Co-operation has also allocated some funds for
the provision of services at the shelter. Hopefully
before the end of October 2005 the Shelter will be
operational.
Gamtel has approved the Installation of hotline toll
fee and arrangements are at advance stage.
The National Assembly has passed the Children Bill.
A draft multidisciplinary operational handbook in
child protection for stakeholders is developed. A
draft children's policy was developed and at cabinet
level.
The government of The Gambia has agreed to sign a
multilateral agreement to combat child trafficking
in West Africa in July 2005 with the Republic of Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cote d' Ivories, Ghana, Guinea, Mali,
Niger, and Togo. Also a bilateral co- operation of
agreement is being discussed, with the Ghanaian government
to combat child trafficking.
Plans are also on the way for a programme for Almudoes,
and working street children with a focus on skills
training and apprenticeship from August to December
2005.
The government has a focal point for trafficking
in persons, thus responsible for co-ordination. It
set up a National Taskforce on Trafficking in Person
since 2003 and a draft plan of action is also being
discussed.
http://www.globalmarch.org/clns/clns-aug-2005-details.php#24-1
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