Another face of child labour

This is a story of stateless children. They have no place to call home. They sleep on boxes when night falls. Their roots are in Angola, they say.A five-year-old identifies herself as Maria Pikena. She is unable to pronounce her surname for me to grasp or even spell it. She is with her mother, Swana Pikena.I give them my phone and notebook to spell their names. Maria writes: “M no B no N b B nmmmm bill bill. This is how you spell it!” she exclaims.Her mother does not even bother. She tells me to pay attention to the vowels to spell it. I write it down and show her, asking whether it’s correct. She nods in annoyance.Swana does not know her age. They don’t have national documents. She said she has never seen the inside of a classroom; neither has her daughter.We do not understand each other, so Maria is our translator. They have been in Namibia since April or May and she’s learnt Oshiwambo on the streets. Swana says they left Angola in search of greener pastures in Namibia. Here, too, they are struggling.But she is insistent that “this is better than back at home”.Child labourThe young girl says her and four others brace the scorching sun to sell wooden spoons and cups. They roam around Oshakati Open Market as well as some supermarkets looking for clients.Some are barefoot. They share one ice block given to them by a Good Samaritan.Swana has a baby tied to her back. He is crying hysterically and the group of five shout at her: “He is hungry! Feed him!”She pulls out her breast for the baby to suckle. But she complains that she is tired and hungry too and is producing little to no milk. She too carries wooden spoons and cups.The group sells the wooden spoons for N$10 and the cups for N$5. A knobkerrie will cost you N$20.Despite it being illegal in Namibia, child labour is a common occurrence. Sometimes the situation is so dire that children are trafficked from one place to another to work on farms or in households.PunishmentThe Labour Act prohibits the employment of children under 14, which is a punishable offence.Those found guilty face a fine of up to N$20 000, maximum imprisonment of four years, or both.Maria and her group say they are sent by their parents to sell the products to make money for food.“On days when we do not make any sales, we go to bed hungry. Some days, people buy us food when they do not want the products we are selling,” she says.They speak over each other in efforts to share their needs with Namibian Sun.“We haven’t eaten last night. We only managed to sell one wooden spoon. The cooking flour is finished at home. If only people can provide us with food, clothes and blankets to shield ourselves,” they say.“I would also like to go to school. I think I am good with languages, this is why I can help my mother understand you,” Maria says. She chuckles and jokes a lot.The girl says her father lives in Angola and he makes the wooden spoons and cups. When they finish selling a set of wares, they take a trip to Angola with their mothers to collect a new batch.‘Complex situation’Oshana Region police commander, commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, says the issue of stateless children exploited by child labour needs to be addressed by both nations.The police, however, do not have safe homes for these children, he adds.“The issues need to be discussed [by] the two governments at bilateral level. I don’t even have the facilities to lock them up for deportation. It is a complex situation,” he says, urging Namibian Sun to engage immigration officials.No food, blanketsIn the early hours of 5 October, I return to their spot. They are not there. They are at home at Oshoopala location in Oshakati.They have a landlord, and pay N$20 for four people per day for accommodation. They are housed in shack which as no beds or mattresses. On days when they have not made any money, their landlord allows them to live for “free”.Maria and her group alert me that they need to leave home now to start hawking their goods.“Our customers are going while we wait here with you,” she says to a burst of laughter from others while nodding in agreement. The children also engage in domestic work.We walk back together. They proceed to their usual spot in a queue. Crossing the road as a group. They stop for cars but mostly without looking whether there is danger, they cross over.Their aim is to reach their destination as quickly as they can.– tuyeimo@namibiansun.com

Another face of child labour

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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Another face of child labour

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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