Despite of its social and economic benefits, mining activities in
the area and perhaps, the country at large have proved to be fuelling
teenage pregnancies as well as school dropouts.
Amina Malingumu is a 16-year-old girl, who is now a mother of one.
She is one of the victims of small-scale gold mining activities in
Bulangamilwa village of Choma ward, in Nzega district of Tabora Region.
At the age of 15, Amina was being impregnated by a small–scale gold
miner in the alluvial gold-rich area. At that age Amina’s parents were
preparing to send her to school as she was expecting to join Secondary
education in the nearby secondary school, but the
expectation remained a day-light mare once she was discovered pregnant.
expectation remained a day-light mare once she was discovered pregnant.
Before she becomes a mother at that tender age, Amina had big
dreams, as she dreamed of becoming a nurse. “I wanted to be a nurse one
day, but this didn’t happen…but, I left all these in the God’s hands,”
she says.
Unfortunately, the man behind Amina’s pregnancy ran away to the
unknown destination, the situation that complicated the matter because
she was forced to rely from her parents.
Amina who is now taking care of her baby in the village represents
large number of girls, who have been forced to drop-out from schools
because of such pregnancies at their tender ages. Some of them fall prey
of early child marriages; as they are being enticed by money generated
from mining activities.
Patrick Madale is one Bulangamilwa villagers, who cites unwanted
pregnancies, early child marriages, as well as massive school dropout as
serious challenges ruining the future of many girls in the area with
seven mine pits.
“Although I don’t have exact number of girls are being impregnated
every year in this area, but the problem remains as many of the girls
fall victims because most of their wrong doings are done in secrecy,” he
says.
He adds: “The bad thing here is that mining activities here have
been attracting large number of people from outside the village and even
the region, hence; once they commit such ‘crime’ they easily
disappear.”
Madale says some children don’t know their biological fathers in the area as some have fled because of the challenge.
A former Primary School teacher in the area, Vedastus Ninalwo describes the situation as horrible compared to the past.
“There are many girls, who fall prey of under-age marriages...but
sometimes it is difficult to directly link the challenge with mining
activities because mining has been there for years.”
Stephen Makwengi who owns one of mine pits in the area says: “It is
very difficult to address under-age marriages because some are caused
by parents who sometimes forces children to get into marriages because
of money.”
“What we have completely addressed here is child labour in mining.
For the past 10 years, no child (under 18) is allowed to get into
mining. We are very serious on this.”
He lauds the role played by a number of Non-governmental
organisations including World Vision Tanzania, for empowering them on
the rights of children.
“Now we’re good ambassadors on this. Child rights are highly
respected here in the mining sites,” he says, adding: “That is the
reason as to why the village is working on establishing a new primary
school just here to ensure all children get access to education, which
is the important aspect to the well-being of children.”
Makwengi also unveils that apart from regular training, HIV
infection rate is still high in the area because of the increasing
number of people who are coming in the mining site.
He also calls relevant authorities to enforce by-laws, which deal
with parents whose children fail to attend classes without acceptable
reasons.
“We have by-laws that require parents and guardians to encourage,
assist and insist on education of their children, failure to do so
attracts legal action,” he suggests Tanzania is one of the countries
with highest child marriage prevalence rate in the world. It is among
the 20 leading countries in child marriage cases with statistics showing
that for every five girls, two are married under the age of 18.
The 1971 Marriage Act allows girls as young as 14 years (with permission from their parents) and 15 to get married.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), these acts
results in early and unwanted pregnancies posing life threatening risks
for girls.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the
Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples; Rights of Women in
Africa, and both the Committees on the Rights of the Child and on the
elimination of all forms of discrimination against women all set the
minimum age for marriage as 18.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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