CRIDOC Volunteers at the Regional CSEC Conference

Lisungu Chirambo (left) and Benedicto Kondowe (2nd left) were some of the four CRIDOC representatives at the CESC Regional conference. In the picture, Kondowe is captured preparing to present the Malawi paper.

Four of the CRIDOC volunteers were among the delegates from at least ten countries in the East and Southern Africa who converged in the Tanzanian capital, Dar- Es- Salaam, from 8 -12 May 2006,  to reaffirm their commitment in the fight against Commercial Sex Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and share experience on the activities carried out in their individual countries.

The main areas the participants dwelled on during the meeting organized by the End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT),  were the protection of the children and how best the children could be involved in the activities against CSEC.

It was noted that in spite of many activities being carried out in various countries to curb the malpractice, very few children are meaningfully involved if any.

Participants observed that at times children are involved in activities without in the first place understanding what they are involved in.

Two of the CRIDOC’s representatives, Promise Kamanga (left) and Lisungu Chirambo (right) interact with the other participants from other countries.

“Real participation requires young people to see the value of doing the exercise. It requires that young people’s contributions should have an influence and make a difference,” said Rakesh Rajani, one of the resource persons at the regional network resource exchange in his presentation.

To strengthen the initiative on child participation, ECPAT International announced the establishment of a Child and Youth Advisory Committee (EICYAC) which will have a role of forming a strong network of children and young people against CSEC.

These children and youth will be carrying out activities on SCEC at local, national, regional and world level.

ECPAT International officials however, urged countries to determine their individual country’s level and approach to child participation based on their political and cultural environment.

Participants were also asked to fully assess their organizations’ programmes to see if there could be any risks or dangers by involving children before getting them on board.      

Countries that attended the workshop include Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Cameroon, Zambia and the host, Tanzania.

Two of the CRIDOC’s representatives, Gilian Kaliwa (left) and Lisungu Chirambo (2nd left) interact with the other participants from other countries.

ECPAT International Executive Director, Carmen Madrinan stressed the need for incorporating children in the activities saying by making them participate would in turn encourage participation of other young people.

She said abuse of children can best be handled by meaningfully and ethically involving them as some of the children would not be ready to talk to adults but could disclose their problems to their fellow children.

Most of the countries bemoaned lack of law enforcement or existence of such laws to bar abuse of children in forms of trafficking and commercial sex exploitation.

Despite the existence of these forms of abuse in most African countries, participants noted that very little is being done by individual countries to formulate laws that would directly deal with the malpractices.

In countries where such laws exist, it was observed that punishments given to perpetrators are not stiff that could deter the would-be perpetrators of the abuse.

Apart from lack of law enforcement and existence, most African countries have cultural traditions that have also induced the abuse of children.

Mostly it was noted that countries in the Southern part of Africa have such harmful old traditions which were said to be slowing the fight against SCEC.

“Culture should never be used as an excuse for abuse,” said the ECPAT International Executive Director, Carmen Madrinan.

In Malawi harmful cultural initiations such as “Kuchotsa fumbi” and “Fisi” (initiations meant to welcome young girls into the society where they are told to sleep with older men) still exist although reluctantly in some parts traditional leaders have called for an end to such initiations.

Malawi participated in the NRNE through Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC).

On lack of resources, which was observed to have been a common challenge to most countries, ECPAT International assured the network members and organizations that it is ready to provide technical and financial support to activities in the fight against CSEC.

As a follow up to the last year’s NRNE held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, some countries like Mozambique, Zambia and Kenya were said to be making head way on the Make-IT –Safe campaign.

Countries which attended the Ethiopia’s NRNE were asked to lobby their individual nations into adopting laws that would make sure that internet cafes are protected so that children are not abused in pornographic.

Most countries said that they are winning the fight on the campaign as they said many internet cafes owners and companies have signed the petitions for Make-IT-Safe.

Malawi has not yet started the campaign but through CRIDOC, the campaign might be taking off any time so that it moves together with the rest of the region.

About 40 participants attended the five-day NRNE workshop.