Why stakeholders have to fight child trafficking

IMMIGRANT children to Tanzania from the neighbouring Burundi, through borders in Ngara District of Kagera region are said to be on an increase, with stakeholders concerned with how easily the minors are denied basic rights, mostly education.

The minors are abundantly coming in, in search of labour, under the pretext of their families’ poor economic status, according to stakeholders.

Tanzanian middle men are the motive behind, with child trafficking saving them as part of income generating activities.

The middlemen are also shifting the Tanzanian children, from Ngara to other parts of Tanzania, mostly Lake Zone, to serve as farms, livestock and homes attendants, where they are seriously experiencing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), plus low wages.

The ‘Sunday News’ recently met some stakeholders to have views on what should be done to rescue the children, they had these to say.

Upcountry bus agent

Mr Kassin Anthony, popularly known as Kenny, has been a bust agent at Ngara Town Bus stand since 2001. He used to issue tickets to over 20 children in a week, outside Ngara.

The agent took it easy because what he needed was money from any traveller, no matter the age and purposes of the trip, despite being aware that some of his clients were foreigners, who would illegally, enter Tanzania.

Since 2020, Mr Kenny has been reached and showered with education by various stakeholders over negatives of child trafficking.

Among the stakeholders are those preventing under-age children from going into domestic work and facilitating adolescent going to domestic work with informed decision where they experience violence project runners, namely Wote Sawa Organisation’, Community Development Initiative Support (CODISO) and Education Development and Facilitation (EDFO).

A one-year project, from October last year, is implemented in Rulenge, Keza and Nyakisasa wards under sponsorship of Children’s Rights and Violence Prevention Fund (CRVPF), at the tune of $150,000.

Prevention of risky child labor and violence is among the Project’s objectives.

Through public education programmes, Mr Kenny is now an ambassador to fight for children’s rights and help them avoid hazardous labour.

“I have rescued over 450 children since 2020.  Usually, the minors hold pieces of papers with their hosts’ telephone numbers.

“Majority children claim to have been going to their uncles and aunts, but when I communicate with their hosts, they never know even the names of their ‘nieces’ and ‘nephew,” he narrates.

However, Kenny faces some challenges, including the presence of mini buses to outside Ngara, whose trips kick off at dawn, around 03:00 and 4:00 am, a time when he is still in bed.

Most mini-buses are carrying the children, with Mr Kenny calling on relevant officers, including police to be at the main bus stand all the time.

“Again, according to my understanding, our border area is large, over 70 kilometers. Immigration officers alone can’t fight the situation. The government should keep an eye on this matter,” he advises.

Child trafficking middle men

Mr Emili Mabondo, a resident of Kumugamba Ward has also joined the children’s rights fighters, after he got educated over negatives of child trafficking.

He calls on endless public education, especially to motorcyclists, commonly known as bodaboda, who have nowadays switched into the child trafficking business.

Having faced difficulty at the main bus stand, bodaboda do pass the peripherals to have alternative transport for children to outside Ngara.

Mr Mabondo who has been involved in child trafficking since 2015 at 10,000, per head, admits that the business is illegal since most children do experience serious violence.

According to him, those who surrender their jobs and come back home do tell the situation, especially females who commonly face sexual attacks from male bosses.

“But I personally regret, today, the way I spent children ‘s monthly salaries. The bosses sent the packages in my phone to present them to parents, where I demanded half of the amount as disturbance charges. Children do therefore work for nothing,” he says.

Parents

One of the parents in Kumugamba Ward, Mr Nurbeth Kacharuzi, recommends travelling permits issuance during the open markets at Tanzania-Burundi borders.

Normally, he explains, the markets are in shifts, with Tanzanians and Burundians freely passing each one’s border according to open markets schedule, only to give the chance for middle men to do their work.

“If not permits, then the Tanzanian government should have enough militia at the border, to help immigration officers,” he recommends.

At the same time, Mr Nurbeth commends project implementers, who keep on showering the residents with public education over child trafficking negatives.

‘Respectful Parenting’ is among the projects’ programmes, through which the parents have been reminded especially of the importance of education to children.

“I chair the meetings at community level, with many admitting that poor parenting and family conflicts are causes of child trafficking. I recommend endless public education,” he says.

Social welfare

Ngara District Social Welfare Officer, Mr Mussa Balagondoza, affirms that child trafficking, especially from Burundi, is still a serious challenge.

Sharing ‘Kiangaza’ type of language, which is spoken in Burundi and Ngara district, is among causes, since majority immigration officers fail to differentiate the foreigners from the natives.

Only Ngara adult natives can make it through deep interrogation with foreigners, says Mr Balagondoza while proposing the presence of an affluent ‘Kiangaza’ speaker in all relevant offices.

Immigration Office

Acting District Immigration Officer, Mr Michael Makwaya, explains that the law requires permits to whoever passes the border.

But, in efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries, the condition has been loosened during a few hours of the open markets at the borders, with dishonest people using such an opportunity for illegal immigration.

He at the same time admits shortage of immigration offices at the border, a situation that seems to have been fueling illegal immigration.

Immigration Department is therefore in process to have more border points, namely Mugoma and Rulenge, to support the available Mulusagamba and Kabanga.

“We have already submitted the proposal to relevant department, pending the approval. Some people might be in need to go for formal procedures but opt to illegally enter Tanzania, due to lack of the nearby immigration offices,” he says.