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PanAfrica: do not forget the children
Since 1989, HIV/AIDS has become a major threat to the
survival (health and nutrition), development (education), protection
(probation and social welfare) and participation of children in what
affects them. The UN convention defines a child as "every human being
below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the
child, majority is attained earlier," (Article 1).
It is very possible to completely forget children when
we talk about HIV/AIDS. Even the very attitudes that individuals,
families and communities have, often hint to this very point, that the
needs and the welfare of children in the light of HIV/AIDS may become
secondary.
The UN Convention considers children complete human
beings with full human rights. The Convention sets out these rights in
54 articles and two optional protocols. It spells out the basic human
rights of children all over the world and United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) out of this points out a summary of: "the Right to survival; to
develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and
exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social
life." UNICEF goes on to talk about the four core principles of the UN
Convention as non-discrimination, devotion to the best interests of the
child, the right to life, survival and development and respect for the
views of the child.
Children should be considered in the totality of the
structures and support systems that take care and provide for them.
Children are the most vulnerable members of the community, especially
children living with HIV/AIDS in the midst of poverty. The helplessness
of the children makes the need to keep them in the top agenda very
pertinent! Newspapers are full of disturbing stories of children raped
for one reason or another. Recently in the electronic and print media in
this region, a story was reported of a young teenage girl who was raped,
got pregnant and HIV-infected. Her story is heart-rending! There are
many other shocking stories that include those of fathers raping their
daughters and neighbours enticing young girls and sexually abusing them.
The Daily Nation of July 5, 2006, for example, had two shocking stories,
one about sex slavery becoming big business in Garissa in the
North-Eastern part of Kenya and the other being a story of a father who
allegedly sexually abus ed her 10 year-old daughter to the point where
she eventually died due to serious genital injuries.
If individuals, families, communities and governments
do not protect children and look out for them, the impact of HIV/AIDS on
children will be worse than it is currently. Our children shall face
both physical and psychological trauma. Today, there are literally
millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa who need psychosocial support
and care. These children are mainly orphans or live with ailing parents
or abusive relatives. The trauma of losing their parents begins way
before they have lost one or both parents. They usually face stigma,
discrimination and sometimes destitution during this period and are left
with many unanswered questions. Some children actually blame themselves
for the death of their parents, while others go into deep denial, hoping
against hope that their parents would come back. A few have been heard
crying out that their parents hated them and therefore left them! We
should not forget children and as parties to the UN Convention, let us
consider the following:
- Children's survival through provision of proper
health and nutrition support including antiretroviral drugs for those
living with HIV/AIDS
- Children's development through catering for their
education and skills building to ensure that they will ultimately be
able to support themselves when they become adults or even where
children are forced to play adult roles such as that of taking care of
their siblings.
- Children's protection from abuse, being
disinherited (e.g. when their property is grabbed by relatives or
neighbours), early marriage, sexual exploitation, harmful
traditional/cultural practices, forced labour and many other practices
that are harmful to children.
- Children's participation: ensuring that they are
listened to, that their voice is appreciated and that they are part of
what affects them.
- The child's interest should come first!
Please, as we deal with HIV/AIDS, LET US NOT FORGET
THE CHILDREN!
Opinion column
25 July 2006
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