We can do better for our children as a nation

“The Survival Ark Foundation (SAF) strongly condemns what it perceives as the continual degradation of family values and morality in this country, especially in light of the most recent indecent videos featuring minors.

“Seychelles is very good at allowing things to happen, but we are not so good at

prevention.

“We are past the time of watching and condemning behaviours on the part of some groups of our population, but we need to figure out what we are going to do about it.

“These videos that are continually being leaked onto social media are the signs of the state of the Seychellois family. It is a stark indicator of where our sense of morality stands at present. At a time where children’s movements are being restricted, many are being exposed to indecent acts and content in the home and in places where they are supposed to be kept safe. The Survival Ark Foundation notes that instead of these victims being protected, they are instead being ‘fed to the wolves’ on social media, as it were.

“We are asking parents to monitor their children, often forgetting that many are single-parent households. These parents are expected to work, leave of absence from work are not always possible and working from home is not an option. “Parents have limited options on who they can leave their children with during the day. Recent incidents have occurred in the very places where the parents

believed their children to be safe.

“As the Survival Ark Foundation, we are observing in the community that:

– Parents are not at peace about where they leave their children, especially with the increased numbers of abuse, but they do not feel like they have a choice in the matter;

– Road cleaners are taking their children to work and having them wait by the shop, by the bus shelter or by the roadside as they work for lack of safe childminders;

– Office workers are sometimes taking their children to work and getting in trouble for lack of childminders;

– Parents are incapable of taking leave and are feeling like they have no way of protecting their children;

– Parents are feeling obliged to leave their children in questionable homes or places because they have to work; Some vulnerable groups of parents are stressed, some are abusing substances leading them to neglect their children, leaving them with inappropriate care without monitoring as they conduct

their business. Children are forced to go look for work or other means to provide for the family;

– Children are staying home alone and are becoming stressed due to lack of safe outlets;

– Abusers are taking advantage of children’s restricted movement at this time to abuse children, and it’s not always easy to stop these things from happening – while some children do report these incidents, the abuse has already taken place;

– Children are sometimes being taken to places by their parents or are being invited to places where they are being groomed by abusers with their parents none the wiser.

“Government policies are incapable of solving all of society’s ills, yet we are being encouraged to look to the technocrats such as school counsellors and psychologists for help. At a time where schools and the majority of offices and healthcare services are closed or are by appointment only, due to Covid-19 restrictions, are we realistically addressing the situation? Especially in cases where their movement is being restricted and their abusers are family members? “Furthermore, what are local communities doing about it? Organisations within the civil society who want to help are being restricted as well, be it through lack of support and recognition in their doings.

“We are faced with a situation where abusers of children are benefiting because the current laws have no bite. The Survival Ark Foundation is calling for tougher laws for all abusers and the proper mechanisms set into place in the case of minors who are abusers, because justice must be served.

“The Survival Ark Foundation acknowledges the efforts of stakeholders such as the department of Social Affairs, the National Children’s Council (NCC), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and many others who are doing as much as they can, but we believe that their workload is immense and the responsibility should be shared.

“We proudly proclaim as a nation that Seychelles was built upon Christian values, but what are we doing now when the future generation of this country is being abused? Let us ALL not allow these things to keep happening while we all point fingers.”