Children

Photo: ©Panos / Robert Knoth

Victim of rape as a weapon of war and forced amputation in Sierra Leone

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) was set to raise awareness of sexual violence and increase prevention. Across the country special events will take place over the next month to highlight the use of sexual violence, and its effects as a major public health issue. Much of the events will be hosted with an aim to reinforce the increased need for prevention programs.

This year the SAAM Day of Action will be observed on Thursday, April 3, 2008, a day set to specifically focus awareness on sexual violence prevention. The National Sexual Violence Research Center (NSVRC), visit the Community Activities page for ideas on how to observe the day and to post your events on the online calendar.

To join the fight against sexual assault begin this month by attending an event, see the NSVRC calender for events in a number of cities across the US. Check your local cities rape crisis centers, shelters, community groups for events in your hometown.

Over the next month I will continually provide you with stories on issues of sexual assault, and other related topics regarding children, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, sex trafficking, female child soldiers, etc.

Here are some great movie/documentary Events in DC (if you are not in DC look to view one or more of these films in your community, or with your family and friends ) :

Tuesday, April 15th – Dreams Die Hard
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd., NW)
Through interviews with survivors of domestic human trafficking, Dreams Die Hard tells the story of people who are brought and sold into modern day slavery. $3 suggested donation.

Wednesday, April 16th, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
7:00 –9:00pm @ Sankofa Video and Bookstore (2714 Georgia Avenue, NW).
Shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this film examines the silence that surrounds the plight of women caught in the conflict of the war. FREE

Tuesday, April 22nd – Tin Girls
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd., NW)
Tin Girls is a documentary exposing the trade of women and girls in Nepal and India. This film explores the intricacies of the markets that support the economy of the sex trade.
$3 suggested donation.
Check your local city for events throughout the month.

Slum Survivors was released earlier this week by IRIN. The film is the first full length documentary produced by IRIN, the documentary tells the stories of some of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenyan, Africa’s largest slum with a population around one million.

While the documentary does not focus on children specifically, it does share the stories of some children, however it is easy to quickly grasp the harsh reality that awaits any child who is born in to the Kibera slums. A child born into the slums endures a life in imprisoned by poverty, and with education as little more than a dream, escape for most is highly unlikely. In this world of daily survival, girls face even greater hardship, as gender inequality runs rampant.

“My dad wants everyone to drop out of school. He complains that he has no money, or that he’s sick … I don’t know … I don’t know why he doesn’t want us to learn.” - Christina, 17

Christina’s father was even more adamant about the money for education not being wasted on her, as she is a girl! Sadly Christina is not alone. It is situations like Christina’s and a life living in the Kibera, watching it grow out of control, as even more rural migration has expanded the settlement, which caused Abdul Kassim, to establish a secondary school for girls. Abdul rightfully fears that the situation in the slums is only going to get worse, as it continues to grow, and continues to be ignored.

“I don’t see why people are living the way they are living in Kibera, or in any other slums, there is no reason - there is no justification. And in Kibera if this issue is not handled at some time this problem is going to come knocking at people’s doors - and those who think it’s not their problem might be surprised one day when this problem comes knocking at their door.”

Children in the slums are ripe for abuse, and they face nothing but hardship after hardship. With a lack of proper nutrition, plumbing and clean water, children are at high risk for diseases such as malaria, cholera, and typhoid. Many children are abused, The number of orphans, and specifically AIDs orphans in Kibera is high, leaving many live alone or to live amongst other youths. All the children in Kibera spend their lives in fear and desperation. Solvent abuse, such as sniffing glue, is wide spread, and many children steal and pick-pocket the Nairobi streets, just to have a few shillings to get food.

Links:
Kibera Slum Foundation