VOA常速英语2008年-West African Children Trafficked, Abandoned to

By Kari Barber
Forecariah, Conakry
15 April 2008
 

Children in West Africa are being trafficked at an alarming rate, often sold by their own families.  Many of these children are then forced to work as manual laborers² or as domestic³ servants without pay.  Aid workers say poverty and the breakdown⁴ of traditional families are to blame.  Kari Barber has this report from the West African nation of Guinea where the number of abandoned children, aid workers say, is on the rise. 

Fifteen-year-old Hanna Soumah cleans vegetables to cook dinner for a family. But this is not her family, and she is not paid for her work.  Hanna also cares for the children and does housekeeping.

Her parents gave her away when they could no longer afford to feed her.

Soumah explains, "My mother asked me to stay here to help earn money for myself and her.  For myself I want to learn to sew so that I can have a skill for my future.“

Hanna says her work is hard.  She says she suffers from migraines.

Children in forced labor¹ often face abuse within families.

Aid worker Jeanne Ali says, “They do not go to school, they just work all day without a break, without anything to eat when they are hungry.  The children become very sad, without hope."

Sorting his tools, Alia Camara says he is happy to be learning carpentry.  He is 13.

He was given away by his family to a man on the day of his father's funeral.  The man forced him to sell plastic buckets and pots.

An aid group for trafficked children then helped him find an apprenticeship⁵ at this carpentry shop.

Alia still is not paid, but says now he is learning a skill that can be valuable his whole life.

"Everyday I make a wooden door like this,” he said. “I just want to be a good worker. “

Alia says he does not have time for hobbies or school, his work is his life.

In the eastern town of Forecariah, at this center, abandoned children receive an education.

Fatimata Soumah is seven.  Authorities say they rescued Fatimata from a cousin who was trying to sell her in Sierra Leone.  When she was returned, Fatimata's parents asked the center to keep her and provide her a better life.

Administrator⁶ Raphael Cekui Tea says poverty is the reason parents sell their own children. "This is their idea, but I think in Africa this reason is not enough because we live in tight communities and when things are not going well for a family, they should be able to get help from their neighbors,” he said. “If that is no longer the case, it is very sad."

There is an increasing number of children on the streets of the capital Conakry.  Many of them ran away from adults they had been sold to.

Abubakar and Alya Camara say they sleep together, eat together, do everything together, because they are afraid.

Aid workers say some abandoned children have been killed for their organs and in ritual⁷ ceremonies.

A police officer arrives as Ousmane Seesay begins to tell his story.  "When I first came here I could have some daily bread, but now it is becoming too hard to have daily bread because now I can hear some grumbling,” he said.

Ousmane says recent political instability in Guinea is making life for street kids even harder.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

3 domestic   

adj.家里的，国内的，本国的；n.家仆，佣人

参考例句：

• This is domestic news.这是国内新闻。
• She does the domestic affairs every day.她每天都忙家务。

4 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

5 apprenticeship   

n.学徒身份；学徒期

参考例句：

• She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
• He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。

6 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

7 ritual   

adj.例行的，老规矩的，惯常的

参考例句：

• This was the monthly ritual.这是每月一次的例规。
• I realized that here the conventions required me to make the ritual noises.我意识到此时按照惯例我应该说些客套话。