WUNRN
Women News Network
April 16, 2010
Nairobi: Lack of adequate education,
extreme poverty and the encroaching fallout of climate change is now forcing
Masaai parents in the Mar region of Kenya, Africa to ‘sell off’ their young
underage daughters to a group of human traffickers who are posing as white
foreign tourists.
Problems relating to extreme poverty are
not new to the Maasai. As the incidence of human trafficking rises and the sex
tourists flock to
“Human trafficking is a serious problem in
Tourists who come to the region with
intentions to market the work labour of Maasai girls, whether for domestic
work; street vending; factory or sex slavery; are now entering the country
outside the radar of most standard reporting agencies.
“Victims are trafficked mainly for sexual
exploitation and domestic labour but also for agriculture work, factory work
and street work,” continues the report. “Victims from neighbouring countries
have been identified in
Some traffickers who are entering the Mara
region come into Kenya as standard ‘tourists’ saying they are there to visit
the nearby Masaai Mara National Park and view wildlife in the world renowned
park. But the travel cover is a farce. For those who may not want to stay in
high class hotels inside the Mara Game Reserve, they end up choosing lodges in
Kajiado and
“They are usually friendly and they shower
us many times with some small pocket money,” says Hezbon Sarpur, a member of
Climate Change Impacts
Gáldu – Known as The Resource Centre for
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples works from its base in
“The Maasai historically have not worked outside their
communities,” says Gáldu in a August 2008 report. “They have eschewed a Western
style, currency-based economy, opting instead for a life based on nomadic
pastoralism. Cattle are the central component of the society. But because of
climate change, things are changing in the Maasai lands.”
As climate change intensifies, the impact
for families to find food, brings desperate measures. Families are now seeking
any solution to survive. The selling of daughters into slave markets is,
one of the solutions, causing young women , girls to be swept away by
what many guess are modern slave traders.
“In the past few years alone, because of
droughts, we have seen a huge number of economic refugees targeted by human
traffickers with a promise of better life elsewhere,” said Mr Abdullahi Hirsi,
the executive director of Northern Heritage, a local aid agency in Garissa. “A
spot-check in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera shows that the illegal business is
conducted daily, final arrangements done in Nairobi,” he added.
For decades human trafficking in
“They even give us lots more money ($2000
Kenyan Shillings, which equals approx $27 USD) for them to take our daughters,
nieces, cousins, and younger sisters for a better life for the girls,”
continued Sarpur, explaining the selling of girls.
Some of the Kajiado residents do not see
anything wrong in the selling off of young girls to foreigners, despite being
warned and advised by a few fellow residents. They blame poverty in the area,
saying conditions are very extreme. But this doesn’t excuse the disappearance
of young girls.
“Several young have disappeared with no
trace and lack of communication since last year,” added Hezbon. “As a community
we are now very worried.”
Like other areas around the globe, sex
tourism in Africa, and specifically in the regions of
Land Grabs, Tourists and Human Trafficking
Poverty levels, which have been at its
lowest ebb, are now lowering even faster for Maasai communities who live in the
Mara region. Due to the fall-out of change to the region problems have reached
epic proportions. Seven years of climate change has been a precursor to
increased hardship.
Impacts of climate change also affect the “legitimate”
international tourist trade, a main source of bringing money into the region.
With worsening weather conditions and disappearing animal populations,
including a wide array of birds, some 380 bird species in all, bird species and
other wildlife in the region are now showing impacts in the Mara Game Reserve
which surrounds
“It is likely that changes in climate as
well as change in the lake level and hydrological conditions may alter both
migration patterns and other wildlife dependent on the lake,” says a detailed
report from the University of East Anglia (UK).
But wildlife are not the only ones who are
facing serious impact. Changes in food sources due to the deaths of numerous
cattle and goats in the region are forcing Maasai families to seek more work
outside the region. This opens the door to traffickers who also encourage
families, and their daughters, to seek what they describe as “good paying jobs”
in other regions.
“Human trafficking is a growing problem in
In spite of harder conditions for locals,
some residents in the area are reporting that a number of foreign “tourists”
are deciding to settle down in Kenya, as they buy land from Maasai community
members for as little as $250 KES – Kenyan Shillings (approx $3.24 USD) per
acre.
“During the colonial period, the pastoral
Maasai were forcibly removed from large areas of their land to allow room for
European and Indian farmers and plantations,” says a current report from the
CIDCM – Center for International Development and Conflict Management, an
interdisciplinary research center from the University of Maryland (US).
The story of Maasai opportunists taking
advantage of land grab deals is still an issue today. Acts like these continue
to increase the levels of distrust and extreme poverty in the
Many Families Hinder Education for Maasai
Girls
Obstacles for Maasai girls, within the
context of extreme poverty, include common acts denial for them in spite of
their wishes to receive some education. Often families cannot afford the costs
that come with educating a child, especially a daughter. Costs including school
uniforms and books are often make school an impossibility.
With a severe lack of schools in the rural
areas, girls, if they are allowed to attend, often have to walk over 15 plus
miles round trip each day to attend school. “Many girls are denied an education
solely because of parental concerns for their safety during these long walks,”
says Maasai Girls Education Fund.
More now than ever fathers, who feel
increased pressures to feed their family, also insist their daughter must marry
at increasing early ages in order for the girls family to gain a dowry.
Marriage also relieves the father of any further debt in caring for his
daughter as she becomes part of her husband’s family upon marriage. The
obligations of early marriage often prevent girls from attending any classes.
Expectations by families toward girls for
early child marriage and experiences for girls in what is locally known as
‘female circumcision,’ a term which is known today in global circles as FGM –
female genital mutilation, add much to the hardships many girls must face at an
early age. Even though
“After one sells his land they (the family) have nowhere
to sleep,” explains Hezbon Sarpur. “The fathers and other relatives then begin
to negotiate with the traffickers. How does one negotiate with a stranger for a
child or niece to be taken somewhere for a better life?” asks Sarpur.
In what has been quoted as, “the worst
drought in the area in more than 70 years,” elderly residents from Enkaroni in
the Narok District of Southern Kenya, just a few miles away from
Keep reading . . .
Women
gather water in the arid lands of
Deceptions of
Slavery
Tumaroi Malkit is an
elderly resident of Kajiado. “Our cattle dying as a result of the prevailing
drought has come with serious consequences. As a result, we are forced to sell
our daughters and granddaughters to traffickers who promise us wealth,” he says
honestly.
“We gave away our dear
girl to the foreigners for them to send our child to a good school in
Malakit also admits that
the loss and disappearance of his granddaughter has also increased his own
poverty and that of his extended family. It has come with “serious social
problems which the government has failed to address,” adds Malakit.
The resource that girls
offer to the Maasai community cannot be easily monetized. It includes many
hours of work most girls offer their family as they walk miles to harvest wood,
manage water gathering, heard animals & perform chores.
“Our single biggest challenge is human trafficking in our community. Young
girls aged below 13 are now believed to be in
The culture of the Maasai
as herders doesn’t help the situation. “We the Masaai do not plant crops,” said
Joseph Leseyio, administrative Chief of the Kajaido District outlining the life
of the Maasai. “We depend on our cattle for our livelihood and we are asking
the government to come up with guidelines that will help us get seeds to plant
crops and change our lifestyle away from being cattle herders.”
Government
Intervention
“We are asking the government
to focus on education, even just for them to invest more funds in building
schools in this community is very important,” added Leseyio. “These initiatives
will reduce incidences of people here in Kajiado giving away their young
daughters to dangerous human traffickers.”
During the days of normal
climate in the region, a cow would fetch as much as $400 KES ($5.21 USD).
With the drought situation the value of a cow has gone down to only $5 KES
($.07 USD), if it can manage to survive the harsh climate surrounding Kajiado.
From 2008 – 2013, the
European Commission is bringing Kenyan experts in the field of children and
sex-trafficking together to compile an ongoing investigation and report.
The name of the report is, “Building the dream: Saving the African Child from
Trafficking.” Data presented in the report has already been coming from agency
“experts” inside
As an advocate for
children, Hassan Omar, Senior Commissioner with the government funded Kenya
National Commission on Human Rights, has become aware of the violations of
Kenyan girls, many younger than 13.
“The numbers of girls that have gone missing since November last year
stands at 40,” Omar confirmed recently in an interview. “All are mostly from
the Narok areas. The government has done nothing to ensure the safety of the
young children despite several pleas to the government. There is greater need
for efficient screening of people coming into our borders to minimize such
negative impacts. Our files show that young girls have been trafficked mostly
from Narok, since November 2009.”
Following the 2007
post-election strife in
Magnitude of
the Problem
Human trafficking expert,
Associate Professor for Women, Gender and Development Studies, from the
“Many aspects of human
trafficking remain poorly understood,” explains Than-Dan. “Even though it is
now a priority issue for many governments. Information about the magnitude of
the problem is limited.”
Ms. Thanh-Dam Truong
reminds us that, “human trafficking requires a multi-dimensional answer.”
“No single organisation is capable of ‘solving’ all affiliated problems,”
says Than-Dam. “Nor should it enforce one vision of the problem as global. A
combination of practices capable of creating synergetic effects and
consolidating policy goals among engaged actors is sorely needed.”
While Kenyan government
officials begin slowly now to look at the problems of human trafficking and
sex-trafficking using a local eye on the region, the problem of slavery
increases each year. Regional networks of organised crime cartels that are
involved as players in human trafficking in
“We have told the
government to be more vigilant to come up with tough immigration policies as
well as draft new laws that will punish the perpetrators of human and child
traffickers,” explained the Commissioner on Human Rights, Hassan Omar.
The Kenyan Commission on
Human Rights is currently working on a draft which it will forward to the
government for review in a move aimed at encouraging the government to make new
and stricter laws aimed at protecting women and young children against slavery.
“Once the government
reviews our draft, it will then go to parliament for debate where new laws will
be recommended. The draft may take some months before it is ready for debate,”
added Omar.
Police
Reports in the Region
In addition to reports
inside the country, Kenyan police reports have also confirmed allegations of
Kenyan girls being trafficked to
“We are investigating 5 foreigners from the
At least 34 young Kenyan
girls under the age of 14, from the Narok area, have been traced by the police.
Six of the girls are from Kajiado.
“We have only managed to
make one major arrest,” Kiraithe added. “The man we arrested is already being
prosecuted in court with no police bond. Evidence that we are getting, shows
that the young girls are used as sex workers. Some have even been raped by some
traffickers themselves. There are also several other charges.”
Kiraithe has also
confirmed that one of the girls has now been rescued by the international
police and brought back to
“Unfortunately she has
contracted HIV,” said Kiraithe about one of the trafficked girls. “The girl is
only 9, and she has a lot of physical damage, especially in the reproductive
organs such as the cervix. She is undergoing medical attention as we speak,” Kiraithe
confirmed.
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Website Includes 2 Videos - Scroll Down & Click Arrow for Each: http://womennewsnetwork.net/2010/04/16/kenya-climatechange-trafficking-892/
Lack of proper
legislation has been a major setback in combating child trafficking in the
________________________________________________
Maasai filmmaker Jemimah
Maitei Kerenge, a participant in the Conversations with the Earth Project,
which trains indigenous people in video production, talks about the dire
situations of her drought-devastated people. Their ancient culture, like many
others around the world is being destroyed by climate change, their animals are
dying and they are being forced to migrate in their thousands out of their
ancestral lands in
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