Despite government effort to protect the right of the child against harsh and inhuman treatments such as child labour and child exploitation a high degree of child exploitation, still exist in most of the towns and cities in the country especially, Kumba, the chief town of Meme Division.
It is customary in Kumba, to see children below the age of 14 hocking the on streets carrying various items such as groundnuts, snails, boiled eggs, cold water, ‘bitter cola’ and a host of others for sale. This situation is even worst during the months of June to September when these children are on long holidays and are even found during the late hours of the day in bars and the streets carrying items that are times are more than their capacity.
A one-on-one interview with some of these children revealed that most of them are being compelled to sell these items by their guardians or relatives who in one way or the other help in their education as well as their well-being and few by their biological parents. Most of them selling during the late hours of the day said they are compelled to finish selling everything before coming to the house if not they will be well beating.
In an exclusive interview with The SUN, on June 9, 2016 the Meme Divisional Delegate Social Affairs, Edouard Kengue stated that the laws of Cameroon protect the child below 14years against child labour and exploitation.
He added that 70percent of children exposed to this treatment either leave with their step parents or distant relative while the remaining 30 percent leave with their biological parents. He however, mentioned that child labour and exploitation in our country can be viewed positively in the domain of socialization and to teach the child the need to struggle but becomes a problem when the time factor is not respected since these children are not protected when they are on the streets and the quantity of goods they carry to sell impinges on their health and growth.
Talking about the measures put in place against child labour and exploitation, the delegate mentioned that at the international level
the United Nations Convention of the right of the child, the protection of the African Child, the 2011 law on child trafficking and the Cameroonian constitution and penal code at the national level. In 2014, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Meme Koulbout Aman David issued a decision banning minors from hawking around the streets especially during the late hours of the day, but the project later died down because there was no multi-disciplinary approach to it, since one ministerial department cannot fight against child labour and exploitation. The multi-disciplinary team should involve the forces of law and order, the administration, technical department which include the Divisional Delegations of Labour and Social Security, Women Empowerment and the Family, Youth and Civic Education, the State Counsel, the media as well as the general public.