Any hope for Nigerian children
ADEZE OJUKWU
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Today, May 27, Nigeria marks this year’s Children’s Day. This date was aside to reflect on issues about children’s progress or perhaps lack of it.
Just
like other segments of the population the state of the nation’s youngest
citizens is alarming. Many children are vulnerable to diseases, some of which
are preventable, due to spreading poverty in the country.
Unlike their mates in the United States of America (USA) and else where, many Nigerian children live in very precarious and pernicious circumstances. Some walk the streets begging bread, selling pure water or scavenging dumpsters for food along with vultures, pigs and rodents.
Some children seem to be trapped in worse conditions, which are largely hidden from public view. They include millions of Nigerian children sold, trafficked and used as sex slaves, in and outside the country.
The health and social implications of these hazardous activities by these young lives can only be imagined than seen as many of them fall prey to dangers, diseases and deaths, in these vicious cycles of poverty and merchandising.
These issues gained greater global attention with the recent launch of a study entitled: TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS,ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN, IN AFRICA by the United Nation’s Fund (UNICEF). The study which was undertaken by the agency’s Italy based Innocenti Research Center established a link between poverty, weak governance, violence, and trafficking which are further exacerbated by the effects of HIV/AIDS which incidentally has peaked exponentially in Africa. The researchers posited that ‘women and girls trafficked for prostitution are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to HIV infection. Insufficiently informed, seduced or forced to have unprotected sex, once infected with HIV/AIDS, they are often left without care and protection.’
The 71-paged paper relayed the experience of Victoria, a young Nigerian girl who was abducted to Italy under the guise of a promise of a better life.
Here are excerpts:
‘Do not be deceived into travelling to Italy. Things are rough over there. The promise of a well paid job – a bed of roses – may be a way of luring you into prostitution, you will be exposed to untold hardships.’ This was the advice Victoria gave to a couple of girls whose discussion about travelling to Italy she overheard, while at a hair dressing salon. The two young girls who were having their hair plaited, laughed at her and wondered what she was talking about until they heard her story and the bad experiences she had in Italy.
Victoria was speaking with a heartfelt desire to protect the two young innocent girls. At the beginning they looked at her with disbelief, but at the end of a long talk they were finally convinced and thanked her.
Victoria is the only daughter of a poor, but honest family in Benin City, consisting of her father, mother and four brothers. While she was still a young teenager, her parents divorced and she replaced her mother in taking care of the family. Her father did all he could to look after the family, but even though Victoria would have loved to complete her studies, she had to leave, so that her father would have enough money for the education of her brothers.
At that time Victoria was regularly visiting an old school friend, whose mother, Pauline, offered her a job in Italy. It was common knowledge that many Benin girls go to Italy for prostitution, so she told her that she was not interested. Pauline reassured Victoria about the job and shortly took her to a voodoo shine to make a vow. Victoria knew that this was the usual traditional ritual to have control over a girl’s will, however she accepted to undergo the practice upon condition that she would not to be brought to Italy for prostitution.
Some days later, Pauline introduced Victoria to a 40 year-old woman, called Madame, who had just come back from Italy. She seemed delighted to meet Victoria. Finally, Victoria started her long journey to Italy with the Madam, stopping in Lagos where Madam procured her a passport. Once in Italy, in the cab from the airport Madame started to talk about the possibility for Victoria to start working the next day and told her that she was going to work as a prostitute.
Victoria became extremely angry and her protests attracted so much attention that Madame abandoned her, after confiscating her passport, to prevent any problems. Victoria roamed the streets of Milan in desperation for five days until an Italian woman gave her enough money to take a taxi to the nearest police station. The police helped Victoria and referred her to the Missionary Sisters of Charity who offered her a safe shelter and further assistance for her voluntary return to Nigeria.
She is now busy with her job and actively involved in helping young girls making sure that they are informed about the dangers of falling prey to traffickers. Victoria is one of 28 Nigerian victims of trafficking assisted with their safe return and reintegration into their area of origin, since April 2001 with the support of the Italian Government.
The tragedy is that, there are many more children
that are trapped in this internationally driven human enslavement as well as
other exploitative conditions inimical to their health and development.
Indeed the decline in the well-being and quality of life of Nigerian children and their counterparts in other poor countries have remained profound and pervasive. This is particularly more visible in urban poor communities and slums where children are paying a heavy and disproportionate price for society’s economic and socio-political inequities. The call for government to address these ills through provision of adequate health and social services has become more urgent than ever.
To a large extent, the health of children represents the most effective barometer for measuring social progress. It is therefore hoped that the President Olusegun Obasanjo led administration will muster the political will and financial muscle to address these critical issues as part of the grandiose activities for this year’s Children’s Day Celebration.
Photos: www.songhaicharities.org