Assessing the Impacts of Child Trafficking on Children’s Educational Development Case Study: Hangha Community, Kenema District

Abstract

Trafficking of children is one of the fastest growing illegal trades, yet there is very little documented evidence on the problem, particularly in developing countries. This study analyses the domestic child trafficking in Sierra Leone, focusing on its nature, forms, incidence and implications on educational development. It also investigates the role of stakeholders in fighting children trafficking. Based on interviews and questionnaires with trafficked children families in Kenema district, Eastern region and trafficked children in Hangha community, it was found that children of school age being forced into situations of labour and sexual exploitation every year as a result of extreme poverty in the rural areas. Despite the guarantee in country’s constitution and existence of policies for Free Basic Education, the parents still supposed to pay “hidden” costs for uniforms, examinations, desks and supplies, this made most parents or guardians unable to pay, hence, large number of children not attending school/drop-out from school and trafficked to mining, agricultural plantations and urban areas and become labourers. Further, the study revealed that since governments’ programme made education free and compulsory for every child to attend school up to secondary school level, no parents have been arrested or prosecuted despite the thousands of children, including trafficked children, found as house helps, hawking and begging in the streets. None of these trafficked children have been questioned as to their parents or guardians and increase in the number of trafficked children cases in Kenema district, Sierra Leone. Also, it was found that the Anti-Trafficking Act of 2008 adopts the definition of trafficking in persons as contained in the Parliament but focuses more extensively for prostitution and sexual exploitation and neglecting other forms of labour. There is no significant programme on rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of internally trafficked children into school in particular and the society in general. The most vulnerable group to trafficked children in Sierra Leone are girl child, mostly trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation. Trafficking of Children is perpetuated through deception by relatives, informal employment agencies, trafficking syndicate and illegal child adoption. The key factors contributing to trafficking of children in Hangha community, Kenema district, Sierra Leone are poverty and better-life syndrome. Trafficking of Children impacts negatively on education sector in various ways including denial of access to education necessary to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that creates trafficking conditions, national labour force ill equipped to compete not only regionally but also at global level where knowledge stock determines ones success. This study recommends a community education programme for prevention of child trafficking and abuse, both community leaders including traditional and religious leaders, teachers, parents or guardians where the initiative should consist of awareness on harmful practices using children. This study adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach where 91 sets of questionnaires were distributed to the participants selected using convenience sampling. Data were then analysed using van card coding sheet and a few analyses were carried out such as correlations analysis and regression analysis.