•The end result of trafficking is always exploitation.

THIS week we begin a discussion that will in the next few weeks explore the issue of internal trafficking in Zambia, particularly for exploitative domestic labour.
It is common practice in Zambia for parents to teach children responsibilities like cleaning the house, doing laundry and gardening.
Household chores undertaken by children in their own homes, in reasonable conditions, and under the supervision of those close to them can be an integral part of family life and of growing up, and can positively contribute to childhood development.
But when does doing household chores become exploitation?
According to the Zambia Anti-Human Trafficking Act No.11 of 2008, Human Trafficking is defined as: the ‘recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, receipt or obtaining a person, within or across the territorial boundaries of Zambia… by means of any threats or use of force or other forms of coercion; abduction; fraud or deception; false or illegal adoption of a child contrary to the Adoption Act or any other written law; the destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation or possession of any passport, immigration document or other official identification document of a person;  the abuse or threatened abuse of the law or legal process or any other form of abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability; or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of the person… for the purpose of their exploitation.
The end result of trafficking is always exploitation.
This definition goes further to state that exploitation shall include slavery, servitude, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, forced labour, child labour, among other things. Specifically, child labour (according to the Act) includes ‘trafficking of a child for the purpose of engaging the child in work away from home and from the care of the child’s family, in circumstances in which the child is exploited’.
The Act defines a child as anyone less than 18 years of age.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), some of the most common risks children face in domestic service include: long and tiring working days; use of toxic chemicals; carrying heavy loads; handling dangerous items such as knives, axes and hot pans; insufficient or inadequate food and accommodation, and humiliating or degrading treatment including physical and verbal violence, and sexual abuse.
The risks are compounded when a child lives in the household where he or she works as a domestic worker, which often results in the denial of fundamental rights, like lack of access to education, health care, the right to rest, leisure, play and recreation, and the right to be cared for and to have regular contact with their parents and peers.
These factors can have an irreversible physical, psychological and moral impact on the development, health and wellbeing of a child.
Research conducted by the United Nations in 2011 on child domestic labour and human trafficking in Zambia showed that children from rural areas, particularly those who face extreme economic hardship, were most at risk of internal trafficking for domestic work.
In these circumstances, false promises of a better education, improved living conditions and monthly payment were attractive.
Gender, age and lack of parental care (both resulting from death of the parents and circumstances in the household of origin) were indicated as the main factors increasing the risk of children to entering domestic labour.
One of the most cited promises made to families who sent their children to work was that their children would have opportunities to go to school.
But in reality, this was rarely the case and children were often forced into domestic work.
In addition to this, many of the children included in the survey experienced other forms of abuse, such as sexual abuse, physical violence, social isolation, lack of access to education and health care.
When a child is trafficked, it is not an isolated act, but a string of events, often involving many people along the way.
Eradicating it is therefore a complex challenge that involves a broad range of partners working together.
This of course includes children and young people themselves (survivors, at-risk groups and more generally), as well as families and communities.
Members of the public, child trafficking victims or stakeholders concerned can dial 990 toll-free from any telephone or mobile Cell Z or Airtel line from anywhere in Zambia to talk to a trained nurse counselor.
The following case study is based on a true story.
16-year-old Lungowe (not her real name) stopped dropped out of Grade Seven after her parents failed to pay her school fees.
Because of her beauty, many boys in the village approached Lungowe’s family to seek her hand in marriage.
Lungowe’s parents turned down all the proposals, as they wanted their daughter to go back to school.
Lungowe had an aunt (Esther) who lived in Lusaka. Esther was a mother of three children who were as old as Lungowe.
When Esther traveled to Kalabo to visit her sister, Lungowe’s mother, she offered to take Lungowe to the city and stay with her.
She said Lungowe would be sent to school and would have to assist with basic chores around the house whenever she was at home.
Esther promised to pay Lungowe K500 for helping with the chores and that her school fees would be paid for.
The family was excited that Lungowe was going to live with her aunt and be able to save some  to send back home to her mother.
They were also very pleased that she would have the opportunity to go back to school and not be married off at a young age.
However, when Lungowe arrived in Lusaka, things changed.
Her day begun at 04:00 hours in the morning and she only retired to bed at 23:00 hours at night after ensuring that everyone had supper, dishes were cleaned and the kitchen was thoroughly swept.
Her aunt Esther made sure everything was in order before allowing her to go to bed.
Lungowe never received the K500 her aunt had promised to pay her every month.
She was not given anything on account that she was getting free meals, water, soap and free accommodation. She was only given left over food to eat and when it was her turn to bath, the water was always cold.
When she plucked up some courage and complained to her aunt about the amount of work she was subjected to do and the fact she had not been enrolled into any school, her aunt warned that she would be dealt with severely if she stopped doing the chores. Her aunt beat her and told her that she should thank her for taking her from the village.
Lungowe was never enrolled in school and whenever she was sick, her aunt refused to help her seek medical services.
She simply bought Lungowe panado tablets. When Lungowe’s health started to deteriorate, a neighbour notified the Department of Social Welfare who intervened and took the abused girl to a safe place.
Longowe was a victim of internal human trafficking for domestic work.