ADVOCACY FOCUS: CHILD TRAFFICKING

The issue of Child Trafficking has recently come under the spotlight because of the World Cup being held in Africa in 2010. Every year 1 to 2 million people are trafficked, 1.2 million of those are children and half of them are from Africa. Here are some facts that can keep you safe and some ideas of how you can share information about child trafficking in your community.
CHILD TRAFFFICKING is when children are TRICKED into leaving their homes and are TRANSPORTED to a different town, city, province and/or country. The ultimate consequence is that they are TRAPPED as they are sold and USED for Forced Labour, Prostitution, Domestic Labour, Forced Marriages, Organ Removal or Adoption.

1. TRICKED!
This is the first step in human trafficking: When a child is tricked this is usually when an adult lies or misleads a child to think that they will have an opportunity in the form of a job, school, or better life in another country, province or even another town within South Africa. The trafficker will tempt you with the promise of clothes, shoes, money, food or material goods.

PROTECT YOURSELF! Nothing is ever for free: always find out the truth about an opportunity or report this person who tricks you to the police.

2. TRANSPORTED!
The traffickers may use various ways to transport you They may abduct you, which involves taking you by force or take you in a taxi, bus, private car or transport, or plane or even ship. They transport you to a different place that you don’t know so that you are alone and cannot escape, sometimes they take your identity documents and passports so that they can control you and you become trapped!

PROTECT YOURSELF! Never agree to travel somewhere far away, first consult a member of your community, your teacher, parents, church leader, social worker or policeman!

3. TRAPPED!
Once you have been tricked and transported to another town, province or country, you are sold and trapped into doing something you won’t like. The trafficker controls you and you become their slave.

PROTECT YOURSELF! You are not for sale and nobody has the right to buy or sell and mistreat you!

4. USED!
When children are trafficked they can either be used for forced labour, prostitution, domestic labour, begging or peddling, forced marriages, organ removal or adoption.

PROTECT YOURSELF! There is a way out, go to your nearest police station if you are being used or contact the helpline in your country for assistance:
South Africa: 0800 555 999
Botswana: The Police 999 Childline 0800300900
Zambia: The Police 991 | Victims Support Unit (+260) 211 253161 | YWCA (+260) 211 254751 or (+260) 211 257250

ADVOCACY FOCUS:
CHILD TRAFFFICKING CONTINUED...

Be wary of the following situations. Regard them as potentially dangerous:

• An attractive job is offered to you that is far away from home — in another province or country. It may be a modelling contract or a contract with a soccer club. These offers may appear in newspapers or via word of mouth.
  
  
• No qualifications are required and free housing and transport is offered with the job, plus the free processing of your visa and/or work permit.
  
  
• The people you are dealing with organise for you to cross a border illegally.
  
  
• A friend or relative offers to send you to an expensive/good school that is far from home and offers to pay your school fees.
  
  
• Travel documents that were obtained by illegal means, are given to you.
  
  
• A recruitment agent tells you that a visitor’s or tourist visa is good enough for working purposes.
  
  
• Someone with whom you are chatting on MXIT wants to meet with you face to face, (to offer you work or a free holiday).
  
  
• Victims of trafficking are almost always introduced to the trafficker by someone they know!

How to help prevent trafficking in your community

Tell your friends and neighbours how to protect themselves from being trafficked.
Learn to recognize trafficked persons.

• They are often unable to speak the local language.
  
  
• They appear to be trapped in their job or the place they stay.
  
  
• They may have bruises and other signs of physical abuse.
  
  
• They do not have identification documents (passport, ID, refugee or asylum papers).
  Report places where you suspect trafficked people are kept (for example, brothels, farms, factories, shebeens) to the local authorities and the media.
  Report people you suspect may be traffickers to the local authorities (police, NGOs) and the media.

Information sourced from the Anex Child Trafficking material
www.anexcdw.org.za and the Justice Acts Traffic Proof Manual, www.justiceacts.org/

Other important tips in preventing trafficking

• Travel with contacts. Carry the number of your embassy in the country to which you are relocating. Inform your embassy when you arrive. Have a list of phone numbers of friends or contacts in the host country. Call them when you arrive.
  
  
• Travel with an emergency plan. Provide your family members back home with all of your contact details. Call them and give them your new phone number and address when you arrive, as well as the phone number of your embassy and the local police. Should something go wrong and you lose contact with them, or they cannot reach you, have them call your embassy, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the local police on your behalf.
  
  
• Travel with a copy of your passport. Do not give your passport to anyone! It is illegal for your employer to ask to hold your passport for any reason.
  
  
• Know your rights. No one has the right to force you to do something or keep you against your will. If you are trafficked, you are the victim of a crime. You may have entered the country illegally, but you still have rights. You may be in “debt” to your trafficker, but this is not a legal debt. You do not have to honour it. If your human rights are being violated, you are the victim of a crime.

Themba - a GOLD World AIDS Day Initiative

GOLD implementing organisations will be running community screenings of the film called Themba - A boy called Hope and will be conducting discussion groups around issues the film raises in support of 3 key MDG’s. This initiative started in late October and will run until end of December 2010 for World AIDS Day. GOLD has been in touch with organisations to brief them on this exciting initiative.
THEMBA is a powerful film about a boy, who dreams of following in the footsteps of his heroes and becoming a football star. THEMBA lives in a rural community challenged by unemployment, poverty physical abuse and HIV. He has to pursue his dreams by calling on his own endurance, courage and self- belief. On his road to self-discovery he finds out how pain, shame and prejudice can be temporary, but couarge is forever. His triumph is a personal one as he learns that HIV can be managed and prevented, a normal life lived and that dreams sometimes do come true.

THEMBA is an uplifting film that brings a strong message of hope. For more on Themba visit: www.thembathemovie.com