African Child Suffers From Modern Day Slavery

The courage of African child is celebrated every June 16th in the world.

The African child today suffers from a lot of social vices which affects them negatively. The African children are being sold for modern-day slavery from Africa to European countries, they are exploited as domestic slaves, forced to work for hours, cleaning, cooking and looking after other younger children, or put to work in restaurants and shops.
These children are also subjected to physical and sexual abuse; they are ravished by malaria daily. According to a recent figure by the Government's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, it claimed that 330 children, many of them from Africa, have been trafficked to Britain over the past year.
On the occasion of the launching of activities marking celebration of the international day of the African Child, with the theme, Accelerate Activities to Ensure the Survival of Cameroonian Children in an Africa Worthy of these Children, the Regional Delegate of Social Affairs Samuel Ndjog outlined some of the vices which the African child suffers from. The problem of water and health with malaria being an outstanding disease, victims of HIV/AIDS, education, malnutrition and child labour which still continues in spite of sensitisations.
Young girls who suffer from sexual abuse get pregnant and they end up committing abortions which takes away their lives or give birth and abandons the children or throws them in dustbins or pit toilets.
Representing the Littoral Governor in the launching of activities marking the International day of the African child celebrated on June 16, Rachel Sen Nkong said the development and growth of children in Cameroon is faced with obstacles such as poverty, the ravaging HIV/AIDS, malaria, exploitation negligence and abandoned by family members.
She added that government has to act urgently to put in place policies and strategies to better the African or Cameroonian child such as: to disseminate development to make available at the international level good and appropriate strategies. A serious commitment from the community, especially the government, the civil society, the media, the private sector and the international and national organisation of development. And also to make policies and specific projects to bring development which will better the situation of the child.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO