I watched this very interesting but disturbing program on the law guiding women in Cameroun. It was titled ‘Sisters in laws’. The title should not be confused with that of sisters-in-law where one may mean husband’s sister or wife’s sister. This program simply showed women having to battle out one form of abuse or the other with the law.

There were cases of child abuse as well. There was this particular case where the little girl who looked not older than 6 years old ran away from this ‘auntie’. Imagine what would have made a young child of this age to just keep running. A Good Samaritan found her and reported to the police who arrested her ‘auntie’. I was pleased as the child, though as small as she was, answered the questions that led to her freedom.

A very well spoken lady lawyer took on the case. The lawyer took a look at this child’s body and could not believe what she saw. The sort of scars that were on the child’s body were the scars that you might probably see on an armed robber’s body. It happened that the ‘auntie’ was related to her somehow. She took this child away from her village because her parents were dead, brought her to town to enslave and abuse her. Whenever she wanted to ‘correct’ the child, she would tie her hands and feet with a scarf, rub pepper all over her body and then use hanger to lash all over her small body. It was inhumane. It was barbaric. It was wickedness. There were even blood clots in her eyes and wounds all over her little legs.  It was just unforgivable for a woman who has had kids of her own to act very unjustly to another woman’s child. 

Although this lady was found guilty, as she admitted all that was levied against her, will this little child ever be able to forgive and forget? Was she scared for life? Were there other abuses that were not seen by the physical eyes and the girl unable to say because she was not being asked?

Her uncles came forward after they realized that the child was still alive. Apparently the ‘auntie’ had tried to keep away from everyone in the village for fear of other relatives asking for the child back.

In our society today, things like this still happens. African culture maintains that one must discipline a child. Even the bible says ‘spare the rod and spoil a child’. However, there is a huge difference between correcting a child and maiming a child. Maiming a child does not affect that child only physically. It can also be emotionally and psychologically. A child that has been tortured needs counseling programs to enable him/her develop properly and come out of the fear already built in as a result of the torture.

But what a world we live in. Many women out there would give anything to have a child. Many are spending thousands on IVF treatment to  be opportuned to love and train a child. Yet in this same world, people cannot be bothered about how a child feels and its worse when the child is not theirs.

I believe in fair discipline. When a child misbehaves, smacking that child does not correct the behavior. Talking to the child about that particular deed helps the child better in remembering not to misbehave again. Communication is not only essential for adults. It is equally important between parents and their children or adults and children in general. It builds better relationship and helps the child in understanding what should and should not be done. Smacking a child without communication creates fear, hatred, isolation between the child and the person doing the smacking.

No matter what a child does, it is unacceptable to put pepper on the body before or after lashing the child. This is only the work of a sadist and this should not be condoned. The sadist gets satisfaction knowing that the victim can feel pain. The Law should punish that sadist.

There are so many children that have gone through many forms of child abuse. Sometimes the government intervenes, sends the child to an orphanage if there are no relatives coming forward to claim. Most times, life in those homes are even worse. The child ends up running and hoping that a kind angel will make her life better. 

All around us, we continue to see children being abused, oppressed, exploited and denied their basic rights as children and as human beings. Poverty and war are two of the main factors causing the increase in child abuse in most African countries.

People should learn to treat children better and more kindly. They are the future of tomorrow, whether we like it or not. Take this to the bank, whatever people sow, one way or the other they reap it.

By Kate Chukwu January 2007 

Robot  Villager

# 1 Whenever she wanted to ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 01.02.2007 06:20

Serengeti  Villager

# 2 I watched that programme too - and even though it was for the second time, I still chose it over DHW! It still brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps to my skin. The programme made an impression on me in more ways than one. First, I couldn't help but cast my mind back to Nigeria and the similarities between Manka and the ages of the housegirls we tend to have back home. We give all sorts of excuses -They will not be disobedient. They will not start to waka. We can train them to what we want them to be (are they your pet cats?).They will not need to be paid, just fed and clothed. etc. These kids are too young to have their childhood taken away from them, and for them to start working - without pay for that matter. In some cases they're babysitting as well - a child looking after a child! And though in Manka's case she was an orphan, in many cases parents willingly give away their children and I just wonder what happens to their heartsrings when they say byebye...IS IT WORTH IT? Next, I was quite impressed with our next door neighbours. I couldn't help but notice so many similarities in our social environment; manner of dress -I identified Igbo/hausa attire on both men and women, manner of speaking - my sister called it 'uncooked pidgin English' - with a distinctive calabar accent in many cases, the general layout of their towns and villages, the greenery, etc. At the same time I couldn't pretend that I didn't see the very good main road, covered drains, orderly manner in court and wait for it - television set in a prison room. And of course, how could I get away from the spectacle of a man that had raped a ten-year old girl wey no get bobby as the magistrate(?) said and had to serve nine years in prison before being repatriated to NIGERIA. Even in the privacy of my own frontroom, I was ashamed. Posted by Serengeti| 01.02.2007 08:35