11/06/2007

Christelle's escape

Christelle’s home village is Assahoun, in the southwest of Togo (Maritime Region). She is the eldest of five children and was in Standard Five at the Catholic Primary School when she left with traffickers on the long journey to Gabon.

"One day a woman named Yawa came to visit a woman in my village. The woman Yawa had spoken to came to see my mother. She tried to convince her to let me go to Gabon, saying I would be in good hands and she would not have to worry about my safety. I got interested.


"We crossed the border on foot"
A few days later, she came for me to stay with her in Bé (a suburb of Lomé). I was there for a week. Yawa came with two other girls, aged14 or 15. The three of us were later confided to another lady who took us to Benin by bus. We crossed the Togo-Benin border on foot, then took another vehicle to Cotonou, the capital, where we were put with about 30 other girls for three days...

We fed ourselves on sugar with cassava flour and akpan (steamedcorn dough). We took a boat from Cotonou. We spent seven days at sea. I suffered from sea sickness,throwing up everything I ate. When we reached Gabon some men with a canoe took me to a village built entirely on stilts in the water. There, a man put us on a bus to an unknown destination. On our arrival, another came to take us to Yawa. She had arrived in Gabon by plane. We were strictly instructed not to carry anything on us. I had only 100 F (18 cents) and some chewing sticks.

"My mistress used to insult me"
I was placed with a Togolese-Gabonese couple. The woman owned a shop, selling diverse items. I was required to run the shop for her. After a few days,my mistress used to insult me, whatever I said. She beat me and called me names; she said I was a thief.

Her husband would come to the shop. He would squeeze my breast and my behind. I threatened to tell his wife, but did not do so because I was afraid. Finally, one night, he succeeded in raping me. I was pregnant. He wouldn’t accept his responsibility and I was sent away. I went to the Togolese embassy and recounted my plight and asked to be helped to return home.

Today, Christelle is back in her village with her parents. She is under apprenticeship to become a seamstress. Her training is being supported as part of a joint effort by Plan Togo and the Department for the Protection and Promotion of the Family and Children, and is financed by Plan Togo.

8 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit…

john kargbo 12yrs sierra leone youth and child advocacy network child trafficking is when you take somebody from the village to the city that when you reach you will help the child but when you reach you will not do it.but some of them use the childern for sex business which that is not right beacause that person has deprive is right and god too will not be happy.i am happy because you people will help us to stop child trafficking.this massage is for all the leaders of africa

john koroma a dit…

josephine roberts 12yer sierraleone-sl
youth and child advocacy net work-SL
I HAVE A SIMPLE MASSAGE FOR THE LEADERS OF AFRICA .WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DAY OUR FRIENDS WERE KILD IN SOUTH AFRICA .SO AM ASKING THEM AS LEADERS TO CHANGE THIS FOR IT TO BE THE BEST DAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF AFRICA. THIS IS FROM ME AND ALL MY FRIENDS IN SCHOOL.MAY PEACE CONTINUE TO BE WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF AFRICA.

Anonyme a dit…

Koffi Benin-couffo,ce que Christelle a dit est vrai car il en est de meme chez nous. A plus forte raison,l'enfant est battu jusqu'a mort. si on peut deja trouver un moyen sur pour eradiquer ce mal,ce serait bien.Il faut aussi que les organisations en charge de la lutte contre la traite des enfants renforcent la capacite des services juridique deconcentres de l'Etat car ils sont competents en la matiere.

Anonyme a dit…

Diego.Couffo-Benin
Dans son histoire Christelle a vecu une experience assez difficile pour un enfant .Moi je veux que l'Etat s'associe avec les ONG pour former un bureau de lutte conte ce phenomene tout en prenant soin de punir les violeurs de loi car les enfants ont aussi leurs droits et nous tous nous-nous levons pour dire trois fois non a la traite,et le travail des enfants.

Anonyme a dit…

Didier Couffo- Benin. ce que Christelle a vecu se passe actuellement chez nous dans le Couffo. Pour eviter ce phenomene, il faut:
-Mettre toutes les filles a l`ecole
- Eviter la polygamie
-Reconnaitre les droits de l`enfant
-Rester avec son enfant et connaitre les problemes dont- il souffre.

john koroma a dit…

miranda johnson 12yrs sierra leone
youth and child advocacy network
my massage to all the children of africa is that i will like to tell you all about me and my family in sierra leone my mother and father have join with others to pass the massage about how to stop child trafficking,we are calling on you all to join us and advocate for this. thank you and wish you happy D.A.C

Anonyme a dit…

Gerard eleve en classe de 4eme Benin Couffo.
D'apres l'histoire de Christelle,jai remarque qu'elle a ete traitee de maniere affreuse,ces propres parents ont ete la cause de ce qu'est arrive a leur fille.
je demande aux parents de naitre au monde des enfants quand ils savent qu'ils en ont les moyens pour les supporter.

Anonyme a dit…

Roland,16ans,cotonou-BENIN.L`histoire de christelle m'a beaucoup touché et je me demande comment elle a pu retourner chez des parents qui n`ont pas hesité a l'envoyer vivre chez des inconnus sans s'informer de son existence.A mon avis , la loi devrait prevoir des sanctions à l'endroit des parents irresponsables tels que ceux de christelle et les autorités devraient aussi punir les hommes qui n'hesitent pas à abuser des enfants filles placées.