Conversation Club Report June 12 : Child Abuse

GENSEN Conversation Club: CHILD ABUSE June 12, 2009

What is your opinion of child abuse, what do you know about it?

Fatima: People have told me it is a western idea. In Senegal, the talibes are a big form of child abuse. Talibes are very visible, but there are other types of child abuse in Senegal that are less visible. There is no interrogation as to what will come of children who undergo abuse. Sometimes even some parents (who don’t care about their children) are ok with sending their children into slavery or to relatives—like when they send children to work in the mines (sometimes by force) so that the parents will have the money that the children earn. (This is especially present in Benin, Togo, and Nigeria.)

Khaly: Talibes are the most vulnerable people that are abused in Senegal, perhaps due to their lack of financial means. Perhaps they don’t have a lot of knowledge to help themselves.

Sadou: Talibes are linked to poverty because they are living in the street. Richer families are living far from this talibe environment. Child abuse is scary.

Amadou: Child abuse has branches, it is big and can be manifested in many different forms. Slavery in 1848 was a kind of child abuse. Who are the African leaders? They need to respect human rights.

We watched Child Abuse Hull forcing children to steal, kill, prostitute since age 8, take drugs, etc. There are many different forms of child abuse. Hull Freedom Trail.

Sadou: Orphans without parents, not growing up with love—that is a type of child abuse. The more vulnerable are those who are poor or without education. In Africa, child abuse is mostly caused by war. It is the negligence in Senegal that is causing child abuse. It is a problem of poverty, too. Child abuse is present in every country.

Amadou: We need to pay attention to this and promote change.

Fatima: There are many conferences, many talks, strong documents that try to fight against child abuse. But the main weakness is that there is little action behind these words, it is not well applied, and few solutions are actually implemented. One needs to sensitize people so they are conscious of it and are able to see it.

Sadou: Parents send children to Dakar (from villages in the interior of the country), which leaves the children without their family. The living conditions aren’t good. In US, the violence isn’t connected to the poverty. But here in Senegal, it is linked.

Amadou: The talibes need to help themselves because the only one they can rely on is the marabout.

Sadou: The problem is that the marabouts don’t have a job, the children just bring money to support them. Some marabouts have really nice houses and are just sitting around watching TV

Fatou: I know someone who is proud of being a talibe he says that he now knows how to manage his life. Some child abuse is linked with tourism, such as when western men sexually use young African girls. Children are raped by tourists.

Sadou: It would be better if everyone went to school

Amadou: The Daaras (Islamic schools) are rooted in Islam, and are important. But 1. we should try to change how people learn the Koran, how the Daaras operate. 2. No one can eradicate it, it is part of the Muslim culture here, and 3. we need to sensitize people to these issues

Fatou: Government funds are needed

Sadou: We need to modernize the Daara, to give talibes better conditions, like regular schools, so they can enjoy themselves and have human rights.

Next class’s topic: Immigration