Exploring aftercare support for child trafficking victims

Abstract

Child trafficking is a crime committed against humanity; it is punishable by the law and can be prevented by the law. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations International Emergency Fund (UNIICEF) and the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) (2009:01), 1,2 million children are trafficked, domestically and across borders worldwide, for labour and sexual exploitation, drug trade, organ removal and illegal child adoption. The trauma of this can be so inordinate, leaving victims broken and hopeless (Frederick 2005:8-12). Although numerous studies have been conducted on the subject of human/child trafficking, it was found that little research has been conducted on the aftercare of victims. As a result, this research focused mainly on exploring and assessing aftercare support provided to victims of human trafficking, specifically children. This qualitative research found that child trafficking has serious negative effects on the victims who suffer, among others, violation of children’s rights, physical pain and psychological and emotional trauma. A society cannot function optimally when such atrocities are committed against its most innocent members who are supposed to be its future. Accordingly, adequate aftercare support, which aims at enabling and empowering victims of child trafficking to regain control over every aspect of their lives, is crucial. The 30 participants who were interviewed for this study revealed that victim identification is the initial and the most vital step towards offering victims aftercare. The next step in the offering of aftercare of victims is the rescuing of victims followed by the immediate placing of victims in transitory places of safety where their basic needs are taken care of and they are provided with instant physical and specialised psychological support. Even though participants provided details of the type of programmes currently offered in South Africa, it was found that aftercare centres, in their current state, are not sufficiently resourced to offer the appropriate support to victims of child trafficking. It is for this reason that transitional housing with long term housing assistance and programmes tailor-made for victims of child trafficking be considered. It is evident from the literature and theory that the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment perpetuates the crime of child trafficking. Therefore, as a form of long-term preventative measure, it is suggested that stakeholders, such as the Department of Basic Education (DoE), Department of Social Development (DSD) and Department of Health (DoH), focus attention on ensuring that victims of child trafficking are not denied the right to go to school and that societal norms, which propagate inequality, are discouraged. The latter can be done by teaching boy children from a young age positive masculinity, such as respecting girl children and their bodies, helping with house chores or crying when in pain. Moreover, the DoE should consider revising its curriculum and focus on teaching learners to strive to become employers and not job seekers as they are currently taught. This may have a positive impact on the current high unemployment rate in South Africa and, in turn, inequality and poverty, which are all push factors for human and child trafficking.

Go gweba ka bana ke bosenyi bjo bo dirwago kgahlanong le batho; ke bosenyi bjo bo otlwago ke molao gomme bo ka thibelwa ke molao. Go ya ka ILO, UNICEF le UNGIFT (2009:01), go gwebjwa ka bana ba e ka bago dimilione tše 1,2, ka mo nageng le go ralala le mellwane lefaseng, go ba šomiša mabakeng a mešomo le a thobalano, go dikgwebišano tša diokobatši, go ba ntšha ditho tša mmele le go thwalwa ga bona mo go sego molaong. Bohloko bja se e ka ba bjo bogolo kudu, bo tlogela batšwasehlabelo ba robegile dipelo gape ba se na le kholofelo (Frederick 2005:8-12). Le ge go dirilwe dithuto tše ntši ka hlogotaba ya go gweba ka batho/bana go hweditšwe gore go dirilwe dinyakišišo tše nnyane ka tlhokomelo ya ka morago ya batšwasehlabelo. Ka lebaka la seo, nyakišišo ye e tsepeletše kudu go hlohlomišeng le go lekoleng thekgo ya tlhokomelo ya ka morago ye e fiwago batšwasehlabelo ba kgwebo ka batho, kudukudu bana. Nyakišišo ye ya qualitative e hweditše gore go gweba ka bana go na le ditlamorago tše šoro tše fošagetšego go batšwasehlabelo bao ba itemogelago, gareng ga tše dingwe, kgatako ya ditokelo tša bana, bohloko bja mmele le tlaišego ya monagano le maikutlo. Setšhaba se ka se phele gabotse ge ditlaišo tše bjalo di dirwa kgahlonong le maloko a sona ao a lokilego ao e swanetšego go ba bokamoso bja sona. Ka lebaka leo, thekgo ya maleba ya tlhokomelo ya ka morago, yeo maikemišetšo a yona e lego go dumelela le go matlafatša batšwasehlabelo ba kgwebo ka bana go ka tšea taolo gape ya karolo ye nngwe le ye nngwe ya maphelo a bona, e bohlokwa kudu. Bakgathatema ba ba 30 bao ba ilego ba botšišwa dipotšišo mabapi le thuto ye ba tšweleditše gore tšhupetšo ya batšwasehlabelo ke kgato ya pele gape ye bohlokwa kudu go abeng batšwasehlabelo tlhokomelo ya ka morago. Kgato ya go latela kabong ya tlhokomelo ya ka morago go batšwasehlabelo ke go hlakodiša batšwasehlabelo gomme gwa latela ke go bea semeetseng ga batšwasehlabelo mafelong a nakwana a tšhireletšo moo dinyakwa tša bona tša motheo di kago šetšwa le go abelwa thekgo ya semeetseng ya go ikgetha ya mmele le ya monagano. Le ge bakgatha tema ba abile dintlha tša mehuta ya mananeo ao a abjwago ka Afrika Borwa , go hweditšwe gore disenthara tša tlhokomelo ya ka morago, maemong a tšona a bjale, ga di na le didirišwa tše di lekanego go ka aba thekgo ya maleba go batšwasehlabelo ba kgwebo ka bana. Ke lona lebaka le le dirago gore tulo ya nakwana ka thušo ya tulo ya nako ye telele le mananeo ao a diretšwego batšwasehlabelo ba kgwebo ka bana a elwe hloko. Go molaleng go tšwa go lithereitšha le teori gore ditlhohlo tše tharo tša bohloki, go se lekalekane le go se šome go gakatša bosenyi bja go gweba ka bana. Gomme, bjalo ka sebopego sa tekanyo ya thibelo ya nako ye telele, go šišinywa gore bakgathatema, bjalo ka DoE, DSD le DOH, ba lebiše tsepelelo ya bona go netefatšeng gore batšwasehlabelo ba kgwebo ka bana ga ba tingwe tokelo ya go ya sekolong le gore ditlwaedi tša setšhaba, tšeo di phatlalatšago go se lekalekane, di a fedišwa. Sa mafelelo se ka dirwa ka go ruta bana ba bašemane ge e sa le ba bannyane bonna bjo bobotse, bjalo ka go hlompha bana ba basetsana le mebele ya bona, go thuša ka mešomo ya ka gae goba go lla ge ba le bohlokong. Go feta moo, DoE e swanetše go naganišiša go ka lekola leswa lenaneothuto le go tsepelela go ruteng barutwana go ka leka go ba bengmešomo e sego banyaki ba mešomo bjale ka ge ba rutwa ga bjale. Se se ka ba le seabe se se kaone go kelo ya godimo ya bjale ya tlhokego ya mešomo ka Afrika Borwa gomme, ka lebaka leo, go se lekalekane le botlhoki, tšeo ka moka e lego mabaka a tšhušometšo go gwebeng ka batho le bana.

Ukushushumbisa abantwana kungubugebengu obubhekiswe ebantwini; kujeziswa ngumthetho futhi kungavinjelwa ngumthetho. Ngokwe-ILO, i-UNICEF ne-UNGIFT (2009:01) kushushumbiswa abantwana abayizigidi ezingu-1,2 ngaphakathi ezweni nasemazweni angaphandle, bese beyagqilazwa noma baxhashazwe ngokocansi, basetshenziselwa izidakamizwa noma ukukhuliswa ngabazali abangasibo ababo ngokungekho emthethweni. Ubuhlungu obukhulu obudalwa yilokhu kungaba ngobunzima kakhulu, kungashiya izisulu zilimele futhi zingenathemba (Frederick 2055:8-12). Yize sekwenziwe ucwaningo oluningi esihlokweni sokushushumbiswa kwabantu noma kwabantwana, kwatholakala ukuthi luncane ucwaningo olwenziwe maqondana nokulandelelwa kwezisulu ngemva kwesigameko. Ngenxa yalokho, lolu cwaningo luqondene kakhulu nokuhlola ukulandelelwa okuhlinzekwayo ukusingatha izisulu zokushushumbiswa kwabantu, ikakhulukazi abantwana. Lolu cwaningo oluqoqa imininingwane lwathola ukuthi ukushushumbiswa kwabantwana kunomthelela omubi ezisulwini ezihlukumezeka ngenxa yalokhu, phezu kokunye, ukungahlonishwa kwamalungelo abantwana, ubuhlungu obudaleka emzimbeni kanye nobuhlungu obukhulu obudaleka emqondweni nasemphefumulweni. Umphakathi awukwazi ukusebenza kahle uma izigameko ezibuhlungu njengalezi zenzeka emalungwini awo angenacala nafanele ukuba yikusasa lawo. Ngakho-ke, ukwesekwa ngokunakekelwa nangokwanele ngemva kwesigameko, okuyinto ehlose ukusiza izisulu zokuthunjwa kwabantwana ukuba baphinde bakwazi ukulawula konke okuqondene nezimpilo zabo, kubalulekile. Ababambiqhaza abangu-30 okwaxoxwa nabo kulolu cwaningo baveza ukuthi ukuhlonza isisulu kuyisinyathelo sokuqala nesibaluleke kakhulu ekuhlinzekeni izisulu usingatho lokunakekelwa ngemva kwesigameko. Isinyathelo esilandelayo ekunikezweni konakekelo ngemva kwesigameko ngukusiza izisulu, okulandelwa ukubekwa kwazo masisha ezindaweni zokuphepha zesikhashana nalapho kuzobhekwana nezidingongqangi zazo bese kuthi khona lapho zihlinzekwe ngosingatho oludingekayo ngokomzimba nangokomqondo. Yize ababambiqhaza banikeza imininingwane yezinhlobo zezinhlelo ezikhona eNingizimu afrika, kwatholakala ukuthi izikhungo zonakekelo lwangemva kwesigameko,zime ngenye indlela njengamanje, azihlinzekiwe ngezinsizakusebenza ezanele ukuze zikwazi ukunikeza usingatho olufanele ekushushumbisweni kwabantwana. Yingakho kufanele kucatshangwe ngokuhlinzekwa ngosizo lwezindlu zesikhashana nezesikhathi eside kanye nezinhlelo ezakhelwe izisulu zokushushumbiswa kwabantwana. Kuvela ngokwemibhalo nangokwemibono yezinjululwazi ukuthi izinkinga ezihlangene ezintathu zobuphofu, ukungalingani kanye nokungabi khona kwemisebenzi kubhebhethekisa ubugebengu bokushushumbiswa kwabantwana. Ngakho-ke, njengendlela yokuvimba lokhu ezoqhubeka isikhathi eside, kuhlongozwa ukuthi abayingxenye yalokhu, iMinyango kahulumeni yezemfundo (DoE), ezokuthuthukiswa komphakathi (DSD) nowezempilo (DoH), igxile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi izisulu zokushushumbiswa kwabantwana azincishwa ilungelo lokuya esikoleni nokuthi izinkambiso zomphakathi, ezidala ukungalingani azigqugquzelwa. Lokhu okuqeda kushiwo ngenhla kungenziwa ngokufundisa abafana ngenkathi besabancane ukuba ngamadoda enza kahle, njengokuhlonipha abantwana bamantombazane kanye nemizimba yabo, ukusiza ngemisebenzi yasendlini noma ukukhala uma bezwa ubuhlungu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uMnyango Wezemfundo kufanele ubuyekeze ikharikhulamu yawo futhi ugxile ekufundiseni abafundi ukuba balwele ukuba ngabaqashi kunokuba ngabafuna imisebenzi, okuyinto abafundiswa yona njengamanje. Lokhu kungaba nomthelela omuhle ezingeni eliphezulu elikhona njengamanje eNingizimu Afrika lokungabikhona kwemisebenzi, lokungalingani nelobuphofu.