Very disturbing

President Poster Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 145

Are we partly to blame because of the low value we place on our people?
We should all contact our local Liberian associations to petition our president Madame Sirleaf to do more.

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Liberia sex-for-aid 'widespread'

Young girls are the most vulnerable

Young girls in Liberia are still being sexually exploited by aid workers and peacekeepers despite pledges to stamp out such abuse, Save the Children says.
Girls as young as eight are being forced to have sex in exchange for food by workers for local and international agencies, according to its report.
The agency says such abuse is becoming more common as people displaced by the civil war return to their villages.

The UN in Liberia said it would investigate specific allegations.
The United Nations promised to put safeguards in place after sexual abuse in the refugee camps of West Africa was first revealed four years ago.

This cannot continue - it must be tackled

Jasmine Whitbread
Save the Children

But a study by Save the Children, which involved speaking to more than 300 people in camps for people displaced by the war, found that abuse was still widespread. The report said that all of the respondents clearly stated that more than half of the girls in their locations were affected.
Girls from the age of eight to 18 years were being sold for sex, "commonly referred to as 'man business'," the report noted.

'Clear priority'
One 20-year-old woman told the BBC that she had been forced to have sex with a worker for the World Food Programme (WFP). "This young man had been doing it to most of my friends. And the children too don't have strong minds. They will have sex with him to get the food," Konah Brown said.

The image of UN peacekeepers in West Africa has suffered But government officials and teachers are also contributing to the abuse, Save the Children says.
Teachers have demanded sex in lieu of school fees, or even just to give good grades the report found. "This cannot continue. It must be tackled," said Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children's UK Chief Executive.
"Men who use positions of power to take advantage of vulnerable children must be reported and fired.

"More must be done to support children and their families to make a living without turning to this kind of desperation."
The WFP's Greg Barrow said the organisation would be taking the latest allegations with "the greatest seriousness" and was already taking steps to investigate them.

"The key here is to find what link in this chain of delivering food, and getting it to the people who need it, is perhaps abusing this position," he told the BBC.
The UN's Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Liberia, Jordan Ryan, also said specific allegations would be investigated.

"Unfortunately not all international NGOs have taken it seriously. But it is a clear priority," he said. "We have never done enough until there's a zero case load. Has enough been done? Not yet. Are we working on it? You bet we are

Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:16 am

I think you're absolutly Right, and as far as I'm concerned, all offending males should have their offending members chopped off fo good measure. Mad

Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 5:06 pm

That's right! Chopping off the offending members of male offenders should discourage this sad act.

But what do we do with female offenders?? Confused

Forums Moderator Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 1023

I don't think there are any female offenders.....................women are know that it takes a "mature" (not mentally, but physically) to satisfy a woman!

I think something should be done to the parents who sell their daughters for food! 'Cuz I know these workers (as low as they are) would not kidnapp these children. Or maybe they did, which makes it an International crime.

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:50 pm

I think that is more out of desperation / wealth disparities rather than any actual lack of value in one's own people.
But that sex for aid trade has many potentially dangerous outcomes, including the spreading of sexually based infections.
I wonder what the statistics have been like since this phenomena started?

New Poster Joined: Mar 29, 2009 Posts: 11

Hi guys what peacekeepers have done this? does anybody know was it the Nigerians, swedish, irish, pakistan peacekeepers........

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:26 pm

irish wrote:

Hi guys what peacekeepers have done this? does anybody know was it the Nigerians, swedish, irish, pakistan peacekeepers........

Does it matter what their nationality is? The point is.. people who
are members of an organisation supposed to take care of vulnerable
people, are taking advantage and abusing their positions.
Please stop looking at nationality.

New Poster Joined: Mar 29, 2009 Posts: 11

my point is I was an Irish Peacekeeper and I know that anywhere our Soldiers went they were always polite and nice to your people. I just dont think any of our guys would do such a thing......And also any soldier that would do that should be sent to Jail for a long-time

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:26 am

irish wrote:

my point is I was an Irish Peacekeeper and I know that anywhere our Soldiers went they were always polite and nice to your people. I just dont think any of our guys would do such a thing......And also any soldier that would do that should be sent to Jail for a long-time

You cant say that.. sorry I beg to differ.
All organisations have rotten eggs, who have taken advantage
and abused their positions.
You can google yourself or go to bbc.co.uk to check up documentated
facts about various soldiers who have been found guilty of rape and
all sorts. Does not matter what country. Fact is every single group
has their bad people in them.
By the way since when did it become a loving thing to carry a gun?
And for the record I am partly Nigerian/ Irish/ Scottish/English/Jewish/ Egyptian. .

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:08 am

I have to agree with Sisip because when it comes to soldiers despite their ethnicity or race. There is such thing and superiority complex especially in a third world country.

So yes their might be polite and nice soldiers but to assume that they won't do such a things is sheer denial.

I am someone who see's the beauty is all ...but fact is fact...

New Poster Joined: Mar 29, 2009 Posts: 11

Quote:

You cant say that.. sorry I beg to differ.
All organisations have rotten eggs, who have taken advantage
and abused their positions.

I agree with u on that we had some bad eggs Wink

. I want to make it clear that I think whoever does such a thing is wrong to do it we are there to help not INTERFERE Wink

When I was in Liberia I got to see nearly every part of your country. I thought it was 1 of the best places Ive seen. And plan to go back there when I can.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:32 pm

Irish I am not Liberian. Did you read what I typed?
I know what you meant to say was ..when you were
in Liberia. Many people here are not Liberian ..we just
have a love for the country.