Africa's Children - Struggling to Survive

The Children Lives is a struggle for anyone but, life is made even harder when you are a Africa child, They suffer more than anyone. They are considered fortunate to be still alive at the age of six; many of them die from treatable disease malaria, dysentery and malnutrition.

"Every day 30,000 children from disease- infested water" This includes African children who live a world where they are denied the very basics in life, clean water, food, medicine, shelter, safety, even parents. Life for them is a fight that is beyond imagination.

Go into any school and ask how many children have only one parent, or no parents, you would be astounded. Their parents die prematurely from disease such as AIDS, malaria, pneumonia and typhoid fever. Behind children facing a daily fight for their lives themselves, The UN estimates that more than 48 million children in Africa can be counted as orphans. 8 million of these orphaned due to Aids alone. Because of their circumstances surviving day to day becomes a challenge; this is the other war, AIDS, the silent killer that sweeps through offices, villages, banks, schools and government institutions.

They fall victim to prostitution, human trafficking, crime and drugs. Lost in a cruel world they have no one to turn to. With everything against them, there is no path out of poverty. One in three children can’t go to school because they have no money for school fees. Life is simply survival, staying alive. Yet most of the world is unaware of their plight. African orphans are amongst the voiceless of the world, needing others to speak on their behalf.

Growing up in Africa
Growing up anywhere brings its share of problems. Put you into the shoes of African child, the fact that both father and mother are alive is a miracle. Life expectancy for men is 40 years in and 42 years for women (rarely do you encounter gray haired men.) Malaria is still the number one killer in Africa, but AIDS comes into second place.

Across Africa, there are an estimated 80 million child workers, a number that could rise to 100 million by 2015. These jobs include forced labor and slavery, prostitution, employment in the drug trade and other criminal activities, and occupations that are especially dangerous to children's health and security. Since the problem is closely linked to the continent's poverty, it can only be eliminated with increases in family income and children's educational opportunities. Africa has the highest rate of child labor in the world, 41 per cent of all African children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in some form of economic activity.

Some children (or their parents) are lured by promises of education, a new skill or a "good job"; other children are kidnapped outright, taken from their home villages or towns and then bought and sold like commodities. Often they are crammed into boats or trucks without enough air, water or food. When their smugglers are threatened by discovery, the children may be abandoned or even killed. If they reach their destination, they end up in situations of forced labor, forced prostitution, domestic service or involuntary marriage. They are virtual slaves, who have been stripped of their human rights.

Children who are trafficked lose contact with their families. They are taken into an entirely new situation, often to another country, to a place where they don't know anyone and don't speak the language. They are vulnerable to many kinds of abuse, including sexual abuse. It is difficult for them to seek help not just because they are children but because they are often illegal immigrants and have false documents or no documents.

Boys who are trafficked in armed conflicts are usually used as soldiers, while girls are usually forced to be servants who are often used sexually abused by the soldiers as well. As of 2007, Africa has the largest number of child soldiers. In 2004 one estimate put the number of children involved in armed conflict including combat roles at 100,000.