BENI’S CHILD PARLIAMENT

TRACK:

17 years old, Eric Mali-sawa is studying for his A-levels at Beni Secondary school in Eastern Congo. But he also holds a more high profile role in his town. Eric is the President of Beni’s Child parliament - a group fifty under 18 years olds who are protecting the rights of children that can’t protect themselves.

In a country ravaged by more than a decade of civil war many children find themselves victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation.Up until now they’ve had no-one to turn to. But this ingenious band of children is starting to change all that. One of the most serious challenges facing Eric’s Parliament is Child Prostitution.Eric and fellow parliamentarian Solange visit the girls and try to dissuade them from the life of vice.

SOLANGE SYNC

This is the house of the Child Prostitutes

TRACK:

They take me to the brothel where seventeen year old Mummy Labashi’s has been working for the last four years – she ran away from her mother and father at the age of twelve and now she lives here with her son Fabrice and three other child prostitutes. The girls are braiding their hair as they wait for clients… but very soon we go inside, past the bedroom where they work, and they begin to tell me their stories.

MOSEKA:

My father married a second wife and we started fighting. So a friend of mine suggested that if we came here to Beni we can survive by becoming prostitutes.

ORIGA:

My mother died and my father went to join the army and so I went to stay with my uncle but he couldn’t help me and he sent me to Beni to become a prostitute.

TRACK:

With HIV prevalence at 27% among Congo’s Prostitutes. Eric explains the health risks, hoping it will encourage the girls to turn away from prostitution.

TRACK:

Mummy’s parents are still alive but it’s shame and the thought of returning empty handed that has stopped her from being reunited with her parents -  until now.

MUMMY:

If I can give my parents a present I will return home. Even if I have a can of kerosene it will be enough for me to return home.

SAM:

Mummy are you serious, If I bought you 20 litres of kerosene would you really go back home

MUMMY:

Me, Yes,

SAM:

Can we go tomorrow

MUMMY:

Yes, I know the way home and we can go.

Sam:

How much would it cost me to buy 20 litres of kerosene tomorrow.

ERIC:

35 dollars

TRACK:

True to her word the next day Mummy and her son Fabrice are waiting with their world’s possessions.

ERIC:

Mummy is happy to be going back home

TRACK:

She waves good bye to her old life and sets off on her journey home.

TRACK:

But the Child Parliament aren’t just trying to protect children from prostitution and it’s not long before Eric gets a call.

ERIC SYNC:

Sam, I am going to the child parliament office, because after school today I received a telephone call from a boy that is being abuse by his parents and he needs our help.

Salama:

14 year old Salama Musafiri has been forced to leave home with his 10 brothers and sisters after his father decided to look for a second wife. He kicked us out saying go and find your real father. He says he’s not our father but I know he is.  He didn’t beat us up but said that if we stayed he would lock us inside the house and burn it down. So we had to leave.I want the child parliament to help me go back to school and return home.

TRACK:

In a country where the structure of society is crumbling and corruption reigns there are very few people children can turn to Eric promises Salama that the Child Parliament will take an adult with them and make a visit to the boy’s father to try and reconcile the situation. Salama knew where to find the Child parliament after hearing their weekly radio broadcasts. A message urging parents and adults to respect children and defend their rights

Beni holds the depressing record of having one of the highest numbers of child prostitutes in a single town. Officially 539 children out of a population of 25,000 are known to work as prostitutes here -  with many more going undetected. But as the fighting continues, Child prostitution is on the increase. Eric and vice president Solange want to take me to yet another brothel to visit a group of even younger children.

Eric:

We have some girls, some children who want to become prostitutes. We have come to talk to them in order to discourage them.

TRACK:

The brothel is full of clients and children 

Solange:

Hello, What’s you name?

TANTINE:

My name is Tantine

Solange: Why are you here?

TANTINE:

I came here because life is so hard. It is better to come here than to wonder the streets. I would like to go back to school

SOLANGE:

How old are you?

TANTINE:

12 years old

SOLANGE

Do you think life will be better here?

TANTINE:

At least here I can find somebody to help me, after sex I will have some money.

BLANDINE: These children work for me, they sell drinks and they help to bring money in for me.

SAM: How many children have you recruited into prostitution?

BLANDINE: Many, so many, hundreds, I can’t remember the number, because they come and go. If they come to me I can not throw them out. If we have something to eat we share but if not we starve together.

TRACK:

It then transpired that Tartine and Layonce hadn’t actually started work as prostitutes. They had only just arrived.

SAM: Layonce, Tatin, have you ever slept with a man before?

No.

SAM: When are they planning to start work as prostitutes?

Solange: It depends, if the man comes tonight they will start work tonight.

Yer.

SAM: How much money do you make from prostitution?

We will make ten dollars for two or three hours.

SAM: And how much of that money do you make?

BLANDINE: I take 5 dollars and I give her 5 dollars

SAM SYNC:

And are you happy with that

No, but we have no choice.

VO: Another girl at the brothel - Ma fille - left primary school and turned to prostitution after both her parents were murdered.

Q. Have you started working as a prostitute yet?

Yes.

Q. How long have you been working as a prostitute?

One month.

PUNTER: and that, is just the beginning, she will not stop now. If she doesn’t stop now she will be doing this for the rest of her life.

Q: Why don’t you sleep with women your own age why do you sleep with a woman so young.

PUNTER: She won’t lack any food while I am here.

Sam: I understand what you are saying but you are not really helping this girl - you are abusing this girl.

PUNTER: I am not abusing her. I am helping her. If I am not here who is going to help her.

TRACK:

At only 13 years old Ma Fille has quickly learnt to block out the pain of trading sex for survival and has become reliant on the men who sleep with her. It’s not long before Ma Fille is back to work. And It would be only a matter of hours until Tatine follows her.

TRACK: I wanted to see what the authorities had to say about the extent of child prostitution in Beni, so I arranged to visit the head of Child Protection at the local police station.

Mado Musasa – head of Child Protection, Beni: Child prostitution is a big problem here in Beni. Parents have become irresponsible and their children go into prostitution because they need money for school fees, food and clothing.  But we cannot close the brothels because if we do the children will be on the streets.

TRACK: Many cases of abuse go unpunished because children are often too scared to approach the authorities themselves but they do feel able to speak to the Child Parliament, simply because it’s run by children just like them.

SYNC I am taking you to meet a lawyer who helps us bring the cases of abuse we hear about to justice.

LAWYER: If it was not for the child parliament we would not be able to get justice for the children. A young girl was badly burnt by her step mother - she nearly died. It was the child parliament who approached us on behalf of the girl and we were able to take the matter to court. The step mother who had burnt the little girl with boiling water is now serving a prison sentence.

TRACK: I catch up Mummy Labashi, who is soon to be reunited with her family after 4 years apart. She ran away from home at the age of 12 and now she’s returning without warning with Fabrice - a child of her own. Not surprisingly, she’s hesitant about the reunion. She has been working as a prostitute since she disappeared. Her family have heard nothing from her and never expect her to return. They’re not at home when we arrive. We wait…..  but very soon an inquisitive crowd gathers. They’re not a welcome party but have come to make their judgment. Public lynching’s for those that bring shame on the community are not uncommon in Congo. Eric does his best to calm the tension and encourages the crowd to accept Mummy back into the village.

Eventually Mummy’s family arrive - It’s a time for celebration. But her past life is a shock to them.

MUMMY’s MOTHER: I’m happy for her to stay but she must introduce me to the father of her baby.

TRACK: Mummy is lucky. For now her family have agreed to take her back but the plight of many other children remains uncertain. Over the last five years the Child Parliament has supported 100’s of young girls and boys who in the past would have suffered in silence In a country ruined by war and racked with poverty the Child Parliament remains a glimmer of hope.