Child trafficking increases

An administrator (right) talks to children rescued

from the LRA rebels in northern Uganda

By Dorah Naamala

Fifteen-year old Monica sets off for work at 8.00pm. Dressed in her micro-mini and a very tight garlie top, she parades herself on the streets of Nakulabye, a city suburb.

“It’s only those customers who can rescue me with some money for survival after giving them sex,” she asserts. Monica says she was picked from Fort Portal four years ago to work as a house-girl. But, when her bosses perished in an accident, she had no where to turn to. Monica is just one case in point.

Many children have turned out to be victims of child-trafficking under similar circumstances. According to the European Union Crime Assessment report, child-trafficking is the third most profitable criminal business in the world, after illicit drugs and arms trade. It is in various forms and across all social groups from the poor to the elite.

Traffickers are mainly informal, varying from individuals, friends of children, pimps, religious groups to employment bureaus. The majority of children are taken individually, while others are moved in groups sometimes including several children from the same family.

Children are mainly taken to urban areas to work as child domestic workers, restaurant attendants, sex workers, strippers and vendors. Others are taken to work at fishing or landing sites and agricultural plantations.

However, the exact magnitude of child-trafficking is not known, says Timothy Opobo, the co-coordinator for information, Research and policy advocacy with ANPPCAN (The African Network for Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect).

 

Because of the ignorance of communities about the practice, the problem is on increase, he says. “About 20,000 children have been abducted by the LRA rebels in southern Sudan. Studies have been done and we know that about 71% of child prostitutes in Kampala, are trafficked from rural areas and over 2.7 million children are engaged in child labour,” states Opobo.

According to a 2006 UNICEF report, between 25,000-30,000 children are believed to have been abducted since 1990. The numbers of children abducted fluctuate according to the military situation. Similarly, a report by international agencies indicates that of the abducted children over 8,000 are still unaccounted for and only 23,000 have returned. Sixty of the abducted children were reported to have been killed in combat.

Child-trafficking that has mostly been caused by poverty, armed conflict, population, irresponsible parenthood and the effect of HIV/Aids has generated massive problems for the Ugandan children, hence affecting their future.

Children are denied their fundamental rights to education, health facilities, parental care and guidance. The practice has also exposed children to the risk of HIV/Aids, early pregnancies as they practice prostitution. They are also exposed to physical assault especially the boys as they try to smuggle, and psychological trauma and depression.

Simeo Nsubuga, the police spokesman for Kampala Central says : “As police, we need support from the government, parliament to come up with a law against child-trafficking. The civil society should also raise it up to the public.”

ANPPCAN has continued to raise awareness and highlight the problem by doing research studies and sharing the findings. The organisation has also done a lot of advocacy on the laws and drafted the Trafficking in Persons Bill. The bill was tabled before Parliament and is yet to be passed.

ANPPCAN has also had projects in Jinja, Kasese, Rakai, Arua and Busia where it has been withdrawing children that have been trafficked and used for child labour.

The organisation also has a toll free line (the child health line) where members of the public and children freely report any cases of child abuse. The line is 0800111222. On the same line, free counselling any form of assistance can be done.

Opobo says the organisation has also participated in drafting a time-bound programme to address child-labour in particular districts as it tries to eliminate child trafficking.

Harriet Luyima, the commissioner for Labour under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, says the government has signed several treaties that prohibit child-labour. They include:
lThe International Labour Organisation Conventions No. 184 on the worst forms of child labour (1999)

-The ILO Conventions No.138 on the minimum age for Admission to Employment (1973).
- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,1989.
-The UN Protocol to Combat use of Children in Armed Conflict
-The Optional Protocol on selling and exploitation of children.
-The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.