Why children should not hawk

What is the benefit of this street hawking among our children? Does it contribute to the economic development of the country or does it contribute immensely to the family well-being? It is obvious that today street hawking contributes negatively to the lives of our children. We often see children jumping like acrobats in the middle […]

What is the benefit of this street hawking among our children? Does it contribute to the economic development of the country or does it contribute immensely to the family well-being? It is obvious that today street hawking contributes negatively to the lives of our children.
We often see children jumping like acrobats in the middle of the traffic just to sell their wares making them susceptible to accident.
Considering the negative impact there should be implementation of laws abolishing child hawking across the country.
Research shows that there are sixty five (65) millions girls round the world that are not going to school. Majority of them are involved in the world’s third most profitable trade human trafficking. UNICEF study shows that 246 children are found to be engaged in child labour. Ninety percent of the large numbers of children are being trafficking  on west and central Africa for domestic works and  sexual exploitation, to works in shops or farms, or to be employed as street hawkers.
The impact street hawking among children particularly young girls include: unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, psychological problems, kidnap, ritual deaths and sexual violence to mention a few.
While child hawking is part of child abuse others may view this trend as a way of child helping out in the family. But there are other ways children can assist their parents without   resorting to hawking wares on the street.
Children who hawk wares and spend the night on pedestrian bridges or uncompleted buildings are also defiled by some street gangs. This situation is worst and needs urgent attention. Most of these defilement cases results in pregnancy.
A child street hawker who becomes pregnant as a result of defilement may not be able to cater for that child well enough for the benefit of the society.
The issue of prostitution is also  worrisome today. Most of them graduated from hawking as young children to becoming professionals prostitutes.
Failure to tackle this problems may lead to the more problems for the society .
 Government should make efforts along with other stakeholders to address the menace. Our children must be protected.  
Yahaya writes from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.