Oh dear! Forgive me. I was carried away by the rape matter. Let’s zero in on human trafficking. Nze Sylva gives us reasons to ponder, as we may be more guilty of human trafficking than we care to admit. He says: “Human trafficking, or what some will refer quite aptly to as modern day slavery, is a huge global challenge. According to the International Labour Organisation, about 20.9 million people have been victims of forced labour globally from 2002-2011, although the exact number of human trafficking victims remains unknown, the majority of victims affected tend to be women and children” (read the full text here, https://nzesylva.wordpress.com/tag/child-trafficking-in-nigeria/).
Nze goes on to mention that many Nigerians today hire house helps. He then asks, “did you pay someone (a middleman) to assist in sourcing for that help? Are you paying the help for the service? If they are of school age, are they attending school? Do they have time at all to rest, play and study like children their age? How is their dressing? Can they be easily made out in company of your children as the help because of the worn or oversized cloths they are clad in? Do they enjoy the privilege of a mattress or are they banished to the mat or the cold floor at night? What do they eat, left-overs after the rest of the family has had their fill? Do you spank them for acts that would have hardly gotten a verbal condemnation should they have been committed by your own child of the same age?” If the answer to any of these is ‘yes’ then you’re guilty of human trafficking.
So if you’re keeping that little girl in your house, and she’s your modern slave, be careful. You’ll either face the wrath of the law or go to hell. Yes! Do you even care about that girl child? Do you bother to get her sanitary pads when necessary, do you care about her general health and well being? Do you know if she’s being abused by someone in your family? Hmmmmm. We must become more aware. Time is running out.
What we must do…
There is need to discourage the silent culture. I know of a child that was sent off to live with a distant uncle when she was barely 8 years old. At 14, she ran away from home and got lost. She returned after three days only for the Uncle’s wife to berate her endlessly without bothering to find out what mental state made her run away in the first place. When she finally returned to her parents at the age of 18, the family simply couldn’t recognise her. She had changed in all ramifications.
She told no one her ordeals. She didn’t even know where to begin from. Today, this lady is over 23, but she still suffers from the trauma of her ‘house help’ days. Only God knows what she passed through in that house all those years. So when people defy our sick culture to speak up, we must take them seriously. We must listen and get them professional help if necessary. We cannot be part of a cover up culture. We simply cannot. Please act! Educate the girl child.
Omega Point…
Please forgive me for writing too much. I could not find an earlier moment to stop. That said, God bless you…
-Rev. Fr. Oselumhense K. Anetor
