Banjul — The Gambian child today like many other children on the African continent is faced with so many difficulties such that it is very difficult to determine the extent of their predicament. Gambian children are faced with problems such as child labour, child trafficking, child exploitation, child sexual abuse to name a few.

The abuse of children have a very bad impact on Gambian society and if steps are not taken, it may lead to a place where children grow up to become uneducated adults irresponsible elders and bandits.

The grim scenario of child exploitation can be seen in the alarming rate of child labourers, child beggars and early marriages of the girl child.

Exploited children are usually those in vulnerable and disadvantageous family and financial situations.

The Almudus, for instance, are children who are sent by their biological parents to Koranic schools for them to acquire basic knowledge of the Holy Quran. The intention of those children's parents to leave them with the Quranic scholars with the hope that they will be trained properly in social, moral and religious principles fundamental to the proper growth of the children so that when they graduate form these learning institutions, they will be able to cope with the society without any difficulties.

However more often than not, the hope of these parents is not realized.

The innocent children are being exploited instead of taught the good values in the Quran. They are taught demoralizing ways of life such as begging in public places and condescending habits.

It is easy to see children roaming about in streets of big, busy towns in The Gambia begging for alms to satisfy their scholars. These are children who are basically under the age of fifteen. They will be asked to leave their respective places known as "Darras" to beg for their teachers on the streets or market places the whole day. By the time they return in the evening, they are tired and weak to do any reading of the verses of the Quran they are sent by their parents to study.

Without proper education and no guaranteed future for them, these children later grow up to become shoe repairers commonly known as "Shoe Doctors". Many others end up in car parks as apprentices and later become taxi drivers.

Those that get married early like especially teenage girls are exploited sexually and through domestic labour which they are not mentally or physically prepared for.

The bodies of the girls for instance are not prepared to take their husbands and babies.

On the other hand, the "lucky ones" i.e. those who have the chance to live with their parents are faced with the problem of not being able to express their views and problems owing to cultural and traditional taboos frowned upon by the society. Parents do not usually take children's views and expressions seriously in typical Gambian society.

In a typical Gambian homes, children are not allowed to express their views even on serious problems affecting them freely. It is a rare sight to see parents discussing certain issues with their children.

Parents do not encourage their children to express their views anyhow, as they would like.

Children are not consulted on issues that directly affects them, they are not involved or engaged in the discussion making of issues pertaining to their own welfare.

It is also very rear to see parents sitting together discussing with their children plans for their future. Instead these vital things are discussed in their absence and their future is always decided for them instead of with them.On the issue of child trafficking in The Gambia, the country has recently experienced a highly organized and efficient child trafficking network in the country. As reported in the local newspapers, the network is based in Ghana Town. Investigation into suspicious dealings at Ghana Town by officials of the Social Welfare UN agencies and a joint operation by personnel of the security forces found that about 11 children slept in a single tiny almost airtight room and all those children were found in very terrible conditions while the people behind the action could not be found.

For the problem faced by Gambian children to be solved amicably, there must be an effective participation from parents, NGOs and the government.

There must be strategies put in place to see that child labour, trafficking and exploitation if not completely stopped should be reduced to a minimum.

Some of the measures to be put in place to see those abuses mentioned above are stopped include:

a) Involving children in the promotion of meaningful participation of children in ensuring their growth and development.

b) Parents should be prepared to listen to the views of their children, they should not discriminate against them as they are young and ignorant of many ideas.

c) Parents should ensure and encourage their children's participating in decisions concerning their futures. The Almudu mentally should be stopped. Parents should make sure that their children get good Quranic education under their own supervision.

All those engaged in child trafficking, child labour and marabouts who exploit poor Quranic students entrusted in their care to be educated should be apprehended and brought to justice at all cost. Any issue involving children should not be taken lightly as they are our future leaders.As for a better Gambia fit for children, education, health and other facilities needed by children should be provided by the state while those issues that are not beneficial to the proper development of children should be discouraged.