By William Mbangula OSHAKATI Children employed as domestic workers as well as farm hands are being recruited into the commercial sex trade. This form of child abuse is more prevalent in northern Namibia, according to one of the facilitators at a one-day workshop on child labour, Doufi Namalambo of the Design and Development Services (DDS). The workshop was held here on Tuesday to look into the problem. DDS is contracted by the Ministry of Labour and Welfare, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to prepare an action plan for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour that exist in the northern regions. Two parallel workshops were held – one for adults and the other for children – as a way to create awareness on child issues. Participants in the adult workshop were drawn from key ministries such as Gender Equality and Child Welfare; Home Affairs and Immigration; Safety and Security; Education; Health and Social Services; Regional, Local Government, Housing and Rural Development. Mainly learners from the secondary schools in the region attended the children’s workshop. Similar workshops were conducted in Erongo, Hardap and Khomas. Next on the list would be Omaheke, Otjozondjupa and Kunene. Namalambo noted that the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the ILO would like to find a lasting solution to all forms of child labour in Namibia. Within the next few months, a national conference would be convened to deal with the matter. She said the problem of children being used as sex workers is more prevalent at border areas such as Oshikango, where typical clients are paedophiles with money from mainly Namibia, Angola, DRC and South Africa. Other towns far from the border such as Ondangwa, Eenhana, Outapi and Oshakati are also favourite hubs of sex exploitation of children. According to Namalambo, findings by her consultancy on the sex exploitation of children, reveal that such activities take two forms namely: transactional or exchange sex where the client pays with food, clothes and other households support. Another form is a classic sex work where the person involved openly solicits sex in exchange for money. The research also discovered that most children engage in sex work when roaming the streets, working out of shebeens and bars with room rates by the hours. Although during the research none of the sex workers children were trafficked, some were forced by their parents to be involved. Payment for such activities, the findings revealed, varies from as little as a bag of potatoes or bread to N$10 or up to N$100 for one act of sex. Causes of such indulgencies by children are related to poverty, abusive families and lack of knowledge in basic human rights. Trafficking of children mainly happen to those who will be used as domestic workers and cattle herders. Most of these come from within Namibia to look after cattle or serve in the houses of well to do families in towns. Others come from Angola and Zambia. One of the elements mostly prevalent in other regions but could not be discovered in the North are the children being used by adults to commit crimes. The Governor of Oshana, Clemens Kashuupulwa, commended the initiative taken by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in conjunction with the ILO to conduct a consultative workshop as a very important tool for the successful implementation of Government policies aimed at ending all forms of child labour. Said the Governor: “Child labour has become a problem in our region as some of the children in our towns have dropped out of school. They are spending hours hanging around at supermarkets and service stations trying to earn money. Some are employed at cattle posts. Child labour, which will result in exploitation, hazardous and inappropriate conditions for the child, must be prevented by all means”. The Governor applauded the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for setting up an advisory committee on chid labour, which represented all stakeholders at central, regional and local levels, with the specific aim to combat the worst forms of child labour. Such a committee, he noted, will eventually lead to the Namibian Action Programme of Child Labour scheduled to be launched this year.